UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
DHA-Geneva Sitrep No. 51

DHA-Geneva Sitrep No. 51

 
                             RWANDA
                        CIVIL DISTURBANCE
           DHA-GENEVA DAILY INFORMATION REPORT NO. 51
                         14 October 1994
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         Information for this report is provided by the
              UN Rwanda Emergency Office in Kigali
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This sitrep is produced three times every week. The information is compiled from inputs by organizations working in Rwanda including UNICEF, UNDP, WFP, UNHCR, WHO, FAO, IOM, UNAMIR, USAID-DART, US-JTF and NGOs.

GENERAL SUMMARY>br> ---------------

UNAMIR reported that on 13 October a 30-strong armed force attacked the Rwanda-Burundi border post in Bugarama.

The President of Ireland, Ms. Mary Robinson, arrived in Kigali yesterday, 13 October, and met with UN Agencies and NGOs.

UNAMIR has released the latest Rwanda Emergency Normalisation Plan (RENP).

SECURITY
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UNAMIR reported that on 13 October a 30-strong armed force attacked the Rwanda-Burundi border post in Bugarama. The attack reportedly began at 0500 hours, with further firing heard at 1030 hours. Reinforcement of the border post by Burundian troops has been reported.

REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS
------------------------------

UNHCR reported that the registration of refugees in Goma that was scheduled for October 15 has been postponed indefinitely due to continuing security concerns. UNHCR's working figure for the total number of Rwandese refugees in Zaire remains unchanged. As of 19 September there was an estimated 850,000 in Goma, 450,000 in Bukavu and 32,200 in Uvira.

UNAMIR reported that former RGF troops are now patrolling in Zaire along the Ruzizi to prevent repatriation of refugees.

On Wednesday 12 October, Operation Homeward assisted in the movement of 266 IDPs from Butare. On the same day, BritCon assisted in the movement of 327 people aboard 4 trucks from Gisenyi to Ruhengeri.

REHABILITATION
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The Special Representative to the Secretary General (SRSG), Ambassador Khan released the latest Rwanda Emergency Normalisation Plan (RENP) on 13 October. The RENP outlines priorities for development and includes programmes of assistance in the areas of judiciary and matters relating to land tenure and private property claims.

At a press briefing at UNAMIR headquarters on 13 October, SRSG Ambassador Khan said the implementation of the programmes outlined in the plan required approximately 100 million dollars. The country, he said, is in immediate need of grants and soft loans to enable the government to pay salaries, import essential commodities and establish diplomatic missions.

With regard to international assistance for adequate response to the Rwanda Emergency, the SRSG said 557 million dollars were needed for the whole region. So far, donor response had yielded 384 million dollars.

FOOD
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WFP delivered the first commodities for the Food-for-Work projects for primary schools to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education on Wednesday, 12 October. A monthly ration of 75 kg of maizemeal, 25 kg of beans and 6 kg of oil will be distributed to all primary school teachers across Rwanda for an initial period of three months. 10,000 teachers have been targeted.

SEEDS AND TOOLS
---------------

This week an FAO team visited seed suppliers to expedite delivery of seeds to Kigali for further distribution to farmers through NGOs.

FAO reported that so far 3,600 MTs of bean seed have been distributed, 1,264 MTs await distribution, and 2,479 MTs have yet to arrive. With respect to maize, 962 MTs have been distributed, 160 MTs are in place for pick-up, and 500 MTs are on order. Almost 280,000 hoes have been supplied to farmers country-wide, with 52,000 yet available and another 289,000 on order. Estimated requirement for hoes totals 848,000, leaving a shortfall of 106,500.

HEALTH
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MSF completed a meningitis vaccination campaign in the Kaduha camp on 10 October. 34,000 children were inoculated. MSF is now carrying out a measles vaccination campaign in Nyagatare hospital and 15 dispensaries in the area. 23,000 children in the area have been targeted. In the Gikongoro area, MSF and Merlin are vaccinating an estimated 112,500 children. Both campaigns will be completed by 20 October. In Butare, MSF started a measles vaccination campaign for 30,000 children aged between 65 and 12 years on 11 October.

BritCon competed its meningitis vaccination campaign in the Kibeho camp on Thursday, 13 October. Approximately 20,000 children were inoculated. 25,000 children had been targeted at the start of the campaign.

UNREO Field Office in Gikongoro reported that at the weekly Health meeting in Gikongoro a number of NGOs expressed willingness to assist UNHCR to carry out medical screenings for Operation Homeward.

At the same meeting it was announced that Caritas is distributing soap and biscuits to children as part of a health campaign that the NGO is running in the schools.

UNACCOMPANIED MINORS
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At the weekly Unaccompanied Minors meeting, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) reported that coordination of food distribution to children's centres would be divided between CRS and WFP. CRS will distribute food to all centres in the Butare, Gitarama and Kigali prefectures while WFP will distribute food to all other centres in the country. WFP will take food to warehouses set up in the various prefectures and whenever possible would transport the food to centres. Atlas Logistique has agreed to assist WFP to transport food to centres. 40 centres have been registered with UNICEF.

UNICEF recently made a nutritional assessment of the children's centres and noted that centres with no NGO presence were in worse condition. UNICEF further reported that in many centres children under 5 years of age were malnourished and vulnerable. In some centres the condition of the children under 5 was critical. UNICEF is working with WFP to address the nutritional problems of children at these centres. UNICEF will also train care-takers working at the centres and will sensitise them to the particular nutritional needs of children under 5.

At the same meeting, a representative from the Government of Rwanda said that there was a committee working on guidelines for setting up or identifying foster families and until these guidelines were in place, it was inclined to discourage the placement of unaccompanied children into foster-care.

MINE AWARENESS
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BritCon will next week carry out briefings on mine awareness for all NGOs working in Sector 4. It will announce the exact dates for the briefing in the next week. A UNICEF team will assess the demining needs of UNICEF's areas of operation in Rwanda which include schools, hospitals and water lines. The assessments will be completed in two weeks time. UNICEF is also carrying out training of teachers and health workers on mine awareness.

OTHER INFORMATION
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The President of Ireland met with all UN Agencies and NGOs on Thursday, 13 October. NGOs outlined their various activities and highlighted the problems they are facing.

Catholic Relief Services has produced a report that compares pre-and post-war prices of food, drink, household goods, clothing, fuel, transport, and lodging in Kigali. The report is based on a survey of 5 Kigali merchants. Prices rose by 40.44 per cent for the period 1993 to March 1994, and 150.56 per cent for the period March-October 1994.

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DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS - GENEVA

 
DHA Contacts: Deborah Saidy and Michael Gaouette
Direct Telephone: 788.7020 / 788.7019
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ONLY - Telephone: (41 22)917.2010
Press to contact: Ms Mounira Skandrani
Ms Skandrani Direct Telephone: (41 22) 917.3114
Telex: 414242 DHA CH
Fax: (41 22) 917 0023
Electronic Mail: DIALCOM 141 : DHAGVA


From: "Arthur R. McGee" 
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 94 09:44:55 -0700
From: CMONTENE%UNICC.BITNET@CEARN.cern.ch
Subject: Dha-Geneva Sitrep Via Electronic Mail
 
DHA-GENEVA 94/0346

Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar

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