Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 27, 2001

UN agencies, in the appeal issued on Tuesday, note that the situation in the Mano River Union countries (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone), where more than three million out of 15 million people are internally displaced, still requires the concerted engagement of the international community if a humanitarian crisis is to be avoided.

"The cumulative impact of violence and conflict in the sub-region over the past decade has resulted in displacement," the United Nations said. "The challenges faced by women and children, who constitute the bulk of the displaced in areas of health, nutrition, education, and protection are immense.

"The vicious cycle between armed conflict, proliferation of small arms, very high level of unemployment, problems of weak governance and corruption, and illicit trade in minerals and other natural resources to finance military activities, has exacerbated a spiral of violence and poverty that has hindered conflict resolution, economic recovery, and respect for human rights and the rule of law," it added.

More than three million war-affected persons will benefit from the combined efforts of United Nations humanitarian agencies and NGO's through this appeal which covers relief, rehabilitation, repatriation, and reintegration as well as protection interventions. "The focus will be to address the varying degrees of vulnerability in these countries," the UN said.

Liberia is critical to the economic and political stability of the region. About 76.2 percent of the population live below the poverty line, 40 percent of school-age children are not in school, while access to clean water is 26 percent. "The priority is to address the needs of the IDPs," the document noted.

"The international community, until recently ignored the situation in Liberia and the negative impact lack of support for relief and development aid has had on the vulnerable segments of the population," it added. "The absence of economic recovery and massive reconstruction programs at the end of the civil war (1989-97), increased the extreme vulnerability of populations already devastated by large-scale destruction and human rights abuses."

In Sierra Leone, the UN peacekeeping mission, UNAMSIL, has been increased to its approved strength of 17,500 and has made gains in the search for peace. However, in a country with a life expectancy of 37 percent and an adult literacy rate of 29 percent, the appeal prioritises programmes to address poverty, literacy and health issues. "The decade-long war in Sierra Leone had devastating effects on the livelihoods of its population and made them the poorest people in the world, according to human development indicators," the UN said.

For Guinea, the UN has appealed for full funding for programmes to address the effects of civil conflicts in Sierra Leone which transformed Guinea into one of the largest refugee hosting countries in the world. An estimated seven percent of the country's population are refugees. Last year, however, only 21 per cent of the Consolidated Appeal for Guinea was realised. "Under- funding made achievement of the 2001 urgent appeal goals difficult," the UN noted.

Cote d'Ivoire, though not faced with a complex emergency, remains a valid target of attention of the humanitarian community - to minimise the impact of potential instability from neighbours, especially Liberia, the UN noted. Flash points exist such as the need for a successful conclusion of the national reconciliation process.

"Should the Mano River countries fail to stabilise the situation along their borders, Cote d'Ivoire and other countries in the region like Senegal and Gambia would have to prepare for a possible significant influx of populations seeking refuge," the UN warned.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is seeking US $3.53 million to promote and implement effective humanitarian assistance and response in the subregion, including opening up a regional office in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO) needs US $6.8 million for food security programmes, while the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is requesting US $459,000.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) seeks US $17.6 million for resettlement programmes of displaced people and for the reintegration of ex-combatants. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is looking for US $11.9 million for regional interventions which will include anti-HIV/Aids programmes in the subregion, where prevalence rates range from 2.8 percent among adults in Liberia to 10.7 percent in Cote d'Ivoire.

In the joint appeal for West Africa, UNHCR is seeking US $36.2 million; UNDP $10.25 million; UNESCO $2.1 million; UNIDO $1.2 million; UNICEF $20.1 million; UNAMSIL $773,273; WFP $55.4 million; UNFPA $2.5 million; UN Volunteers/Mission in Sierra Leone $704,000, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights $500,000.

"Close interaction between humanitarian agencies, international financial institutions and development organisations is key to addressing both the root causes and effects of the humanitarian crises in the Mano River Union," the UN said in its appeal. "The UN Country Teams, UNDP, OCHA, the World Bank, the IMF and the Governments will play a key role in ensuring that the links between humanitarian and development assistance are reinforced and sustained."

The call for funds for the subregion forms part of an appeal on Monday by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for $2.5 billion for 33 million people "in desperate need" around the world.
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