HUMANITARIAN ISSUES

Relief and Resettlement Unit

The Relief and Resettlement Unit (R&R Unit) is charged with the humanitarian responsibility of the Commission. Its key activities are:

• Emergency Relief/Humanitarian Assistance
• Resettlement of IDPs, Returnees, the Amputees and War Wounded
• Repatriation of Sierra Leonean Refugees
• Protection of Refugees - Physical and Material
• Monitoring of Entry Points /Flash Areas for the movement of

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

Since April 2001, together with its partners - UNOCHA, IOM, WFP, CARE, ICRC, PAE, and UNAMSIL among others, NaCSA has been able to resettle more than 220,000 IDPs nationwide from about 26 camps including host communities around the country based stipulated guidelines of the National Resettlement Strategy. The process was conducted in five phases as can be seen below:

• Phase I: April 2001 & Feb 2002 - 44,899 resettled
• Phase II : June 2001 - 8660 resettled
• Phase III : April 2002 - 122, 142 resettled
• Phase IV: June 2002 - 36,606 resettled
• Phase V : Nov-Dec 2002 - 10,561 resettled
  

As the camps became empty, the Camp Phase Out and a Consolidation stage of the Resettlement Strategy took off in December 17, 2002. About 2,000 IDPs, from camps in the Western Area, the majority whose houses were burnt in January 1999, when the rebels invaded Freetown, were relocated to Grafton Camp now know as the Grafton Settlement. The sites of the former camps will be handed over to their rightful owners and or restored to their former use. In fact some of the sites like the Parade Grounds and Trade Centre, which were formerly used as recreational grounds are now being used for that.

Below is a break down of resettlement(1) by destination/district of return.

1 - Resettlement of IDP's was undertaken by the Government through NaCSA with support from UNOCHA, WFP, UNAMSIL, IOM, CARE, CRS & ICRC. Resettling IDP's received food rations to last for two months from Food Pipeline Agencies (WFP & CRS).Also a standard Non-Food Items kit from the NFI Agencies (ICRC & CARE).
2 - Phase I resettlement process was done in April - May 2001
3 - Phase II resettlement process was done in June 2001
4 - Phase III resettlement process was done in April 2002
5 - Phase IV resettlement process was done in June 2002
6 - Phase V resettlement process was done in November - December 2002
7 - Phase I registration are the figure from the IDP Census conducted in February 2001 by UNOCHA in collaboration with NaCSA (NCRRR)
8 - Phase II registration was done in May 2001 conducted by UNOCHA, NaCSA (NCRRR) in collaboration with the Food Pipieline Agencies & IOM 9 - Phase III registration was done in February 2002 conducted by UNOCHA in collaboration with NaCSA (NCRRR) & IOM
9 - Phase IV registration are the same registration figures from Phase III
10 - Phase V registration was done in September 2002 by UNOCHA, NaCSA (NCRRR) in collaboration with the Food Pipeline Agencies 11 - Voluntary Resettlers are IDP's who had opted for no transportation assistance and were given tokens to collect NFI packages at a later date at distributions centres identified 12 - Facilitated Resettlers are IDP's who had opted to be transported to collect their packages at distribution centres they choose

Resettlement of Amputees and war wounded victims

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in collaboration with NaCSA introduced a housing scheme for the resettlement of Displaced Amputees and War Wounded victims into their communities of origin or other places of their choice.

Under the Scheme, 2 bedroom houses are built in settlements in various parts of the country for the beneficiaries. The beneficiaries also receive a resettlement package of non-food items and food for 6 months. It should be noted that the resettlement package for ordinary IDPs consist of non-food items and 2 months food package.

The NRC Housing Scheme also has an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign and education component. The education component facilitates

As at February 7, 2003, 189 houses have been built for 189 amputees and war wounded victims who have been resettled together with their dependants throughout the country. A remaining total of 126 (52 remaining for 2002 and 74 for 2003) houses are to be built under the scheme. It should also be noted that only some of the registered Amputees in the well-known Amputee Camp in Freetown the capital have benefited from this scheme. There are still about 2,000 amputees nationwide in dire need of such laudable programmes undertaken by the Norwegian Refugee Council. Also there is a need for the funding of livelihood programmes for the resettled.

Repatraition and Resttlement of Sierra Leone Refugees

When hostilities broke out in Guinea in September 2000, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in collaboration with NaCSA started the repatriation of Sierra Leonean refugees in Guinea.

In Liberia when renewed fighting started last year, UNHCR commenced the repatriation of SL refugees in Liberia and the relocation of those arriving by foot in border areas.

Since then as the disarmament and demobilisation process gained momentum in Sierra Leone, UNHCR together with NaCSA has been repatriating SL refugees by land, sea and air. To date, over 230,000 Sierra Leoneans have been repatriated by boat and road from Guinea and Liberia and by air from Nigerian, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Libya Mauritania and Morocco. Over 90% of those repatriated are from Guinea and Liberia. They have all been resettled with their resettlement packages. With the ending of the war in January 2002, UNHCR NACSA and partners are planning to move to the promotional of repatriation from the facilitated phase.






Liberian Refugees

When fighting started again in Liberia last year, thousands of Liberian refugees crossed into Sirra Leone which is still recovering from a brutal war through the south and eastern parts of the country. UNHCR together with NaCSA and other partners have been relocating these refugees to camps in the South and Eastern Regions. The former returnee camps in Jembe, Gerihun , Bandajuma Sowa, and Taiama were transformed into Refugee Camps. Two more new camps were established in Jimmy Bagbo and Largo. The camps are located in the Southern and Eastern regions at least 50Km away from the border with Liberia.. As at January 2003, the total Liberian refugee population in the country is about 65,000 comprising 44,200 in camps, 12,500 in border settlements and the remaining in urban settlements NaCSA and UNHCR staff are monitoring the welfare of these refugees who have been given asylum by the government despite the fact that the country has just emerged from a ten-year old brutal war and is still receiving Sierra Leonean refugees.

UNHCR apart from its reintegration programmes in major resettlement areas of Sierra Leonean returnees, namely Kono, Kambia, Kailahun and Pujehun is also giving support to communities hosting Liberian refugees. Projects in the sectors of education, road construction and community infrastructure have been funded in Jembe, Gerihun and Taiama.

Humanitarian/Relief Assistance

In line with its mandate, NaCSA has been coordinating the distribution of relief/humanitarian assistance to needy persons including polio and leper victims nationwide. Since 1996 the Commission has been rendering humanitarian/relief assistance to the displaced population in camps and to other vulnerables throughout the country. Donors both local and international, work with NaCSA staff to ensure that items donated get to their target beneficiaries.

In the Month of January 2003 alone, NaCSA coordinated among others the following relief/humanitarian activities:

• Sierra Leone Progressive Union (SLPU), USA: Distribution of Food and Non-Food Items to Amputees valued at $1,000.
• Sierra Leone Missionary Union (SLMMU)/Saudi Government's distribution of large quantities of rice, used clothing and date palm to vulnerable person nationwide.
• Commissioned 'The Bread of Hope Bakery' for Amputees at Lumpa Amputee Settlement worth 7 million leones and funded by the Lutheran Church.
• Coordinated the election process for a Government offered scholarship to the amputees to perform the pilgrimage in Mecca.
• Facilitated the distribution of gifts donated by 'PIKIN BIZNESS' - (A Local Non-Governmental Organization) to children at Masiaka, Port Loko, Makeni, Maguraka and Freetown.