MCIC Situation report Macedonia no. 26/2001


November 26 - December 2, 2001

SKOPJE, December 3rd, 2001


HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Displaced persons

The Macedonian Red Cross announces the number of IDPs once a month.
According to the last report, there are total of 53,797 IDPs. The MRC is carrying out re-registration of IDPs, so currently there is no data for the exact IDP number.

No changes in the number of refugees who return from Kosovo.
According to the UNHCR, there are about 12,000 refugees (ethnic Albanians) in Kosovo, while total of 64,000 have returned to Macedonia.

Social situation

According to the Employment Bureau, in October there have been total of 354,864 unemployed persons in Macedonia, of whom 36,638 use financial assistance and 216,867 use their right to health protection. The unemployment rate has reached up to 39,1%.


HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Food

The humanitarian organization El Hilal is distributing food packages for the displaced persons in the villages Malino, Tanusevci and Brest, 100 packages in each village, Mojance - 180, and Lavce - 200. On November 29, this organization distributed 17 tones of assistance in food (flour, rise, salt, sugar, macaroni, eatable oil) and hygiene products at Lipkovo municipality.

The Natira organization from Kumanovo carried out a distribution of 625 kilograms of flour for 12 families in the village of Presnica and 13 families in Kumanovo.

Health

Representatives of the WHO paid a visit to the clinic in Radusa, damaged during the armed clashes. Director of the Gjorce Petrov policlinic is ready to dispatch a medic twice a week. The villagers are ready to help in the reconstruction, but they need building materials.
The American Red Cross continues with the education activities for the IDPs accommodated in collective centers or by host-families.

The IRC teams are providing health protection for the IDPs in Kumanovo and those who have returned to their homes in Aracinovo. Approximately 70 patients receive medical treatment a day. The IRC is also carrying out reconstruction on the clinic in Aracinovo.

Shelters

The UNDP will provide reconstruction and installation of heating systems in five collective centers: Olympic village and Ranka Milanovic in Skopje, dormitory in Dolno Konjare village, Kristal in Kumanovo and the collective center in Star Dojran.

Natira from Kumanovo is carrying out distribution of 170 packages of winter clothes for the families from Ropajce, Vistica, Slupcane, Matejce and Kumanovo.

The Greek humanitarian non-governmental organization European Perspective, with funds from the Greek foreign ministry, started the project "Small repairs to the houses of the host-families." The project will be realized in Skopje, Kumanovo, Gostivar, Prilep and Veles, involving 94 families who have accommodated IDPs. The users are ethnic Macedonians, Albanians and Romas. Also with funds from the Greek foreign ministry, houses damaged during the armed clashes in the village of Aracinovo near Skopje will be also repaired. The assessment phase is ongoing. Repairs will be carried out on total of 20 houses that suffered damage from second and third category.

In cooperation with the Danish Refugee Committee, the El Hilal is distributing winter clothes for the IDPs accommodated in Tetovo, as well as to the villagers of Gajre and Drenovec. Total of 1,157 packages will be distributed.

In the period between November 27 and November 30, the MCIC realized distribution of building materials for the houses that suffered damage from category one and two in the village of Otlja. Total of 24,400 roof tiles, 7,920 ceramic blocks, 480 bags of cement (24,000 kilograms), 330 bags of cement and lime (16,500 kilograms), 43 windows, 20 doors, 1,250 timber planks, 657 timber and 1,704 timber battons have been distributed. Distribution of building materials to Radusa continues. Last week, 18,190 roof tiles, 2,230 timber planks, 65 bags of cement (3,250 kilograms), 480 ceramic blocks, 832 m2 wooden celing and 590 m2 plastic celing have been distributed. Around 80% of delivery was completed.

Water-supply and sanitation

No new activities in this period.

Schools and education

World Vision has completed the rehabilitation of the school in Opae.

The German KFOR contingent have completed the repairs on the schools in Neprosteno, Vratnica and Zilce.

The Danish Red Cross carried out repairs on the school in Sipkovica.

Humanitarian mine disposal

For the needs of the Macedonian mine disposal teams, the U.S. has granted equipment worth US$ 1,5 million to Macedonia. This equipment is sufficient for equipping four mine disposal teams, and is composed of 19 vehicles, communication hardware, office equipment and computers.

The six mine disposal teams, that are operational in Macedonia since the beginning of October, have so far discovered 50 unexploded devices, most of them grenades and mortars, as well as an anti-infantry mine and anti-tank mine.

The mine disposal teams continue with their activities in Slupcane and Opae, as well as along the Jazince-Tetovo railroad.

Protection and human rights

No new activities in this period.

Psychosocial activities

The SOS Kumanovo will start with psychosocial activities for the citizens of Lipkovo municipality. The psychosocial support is realized in the collective centers in Kumanovo.
The organization "For happy family" organizes workshops for children from different age in Tetovo and Brvenica.

The ARC launched a series of workshops for confidence building in the regions impacted by the crisis. The ARC printed 3,500 leaflets in Macedonian language and 2,000 in Albanian language for the IDPs.

Post-crisis rehabilitation

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization - FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water-supply, the agricultural unions in Macedonia, as well as the "Care" and "Acted" organizations have started distribution of animal feed for 18,000 farmers from Kumanovo, Tetovo, Gostivar, the region north of Skopje, as well as the regions impacted by the drought. This project is worth US$ 1,3 million and is realized with financial assistance from the Dutch and Norwegian governments.

To 1,500 families, the Care has distributed 150 kilograms of wheat seeds and 150 kilograms of fertilizers per family in Lipkovo municipallity.

The UNHCR distributes firewood for the citizens of Neprosteno. Total of 345 cubic meters of wood have been distributed to 172 families, i.e. two cubics per household.

In the period between November 27 and November 30, the MCIC distributed 96,700 kilograms of food for live stock for the citizens of the regions impacted by the crisis. In the Kumanovo region, 128 bagss have been distributed at Novo Selo, 162 at Umin Dol, 190 at Ljubodrag, 500 at Matejce and 121 at Otlja. In the Tetovo region, 63 bags have been distributed in Lesok, 127 at Neprosteno, 252 at Tearce, 77 at Prsovce, 111 at Gloge and 203 at Dobroste. Each household receives one bag of food for live stock (one bag is 50 kilograms.)


HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION

Financing

During his stay in Brussels, President Boris Trajkovski was promised that a Donors' conference for Macedonia would take place on December 20-21, 2001. The European Commission announces €68 million, and the World Bank will probably provide approximately the same amount of money next year.


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