150 route de Ferney, P.O. Box 2100 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland

Tel: 41 22 791 6033 Fax: 41 22 791 6506 Appeal e-mail: [email protected]

Coordinating Office

Assistance to IDPs and Returnees - AFLR11 Appeal Target: US$ 297,628

Geneva, March 30, 2001

Dear Colleagues,

The fighting in Liberia’s Kolahun District in Lofa between the Liberian Government troops and the rebels have caused great suffering to tens of thousands of people and responsible for the destruction of infrastructures including private homes, public buildings, schools, hospitals and clinics. The belligerents in the war have destroyed and looted homes and responsible for a number of people who have been killed. In addition to the 20,000 people who were displaced in the October, 2000 fighting another over 5,000 people have been displaced in the latest fighting this February, and have taken refugee in the districts of Kongba, Gbarma and Tubmanburg city in .

Lutheran World Federation / World Service (LWF/WS) proposes to assist IDPs in Lofa and Bomi Counties, affected by the current hostilities especially in the district of Salayea. Special attention will be given to the internally displaced numbering 25,000.

The assistance will include:

· Food distribution · Non Food Items (mainly blankets, and clothes) · Health (Support to Clinics) · Water & Sanitation · Seeds and Tools

ACT is a worldwide network of churches and related agencies meeting human need through coordinated emergency response. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.

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Project Completion Date: 15 September, 2001

Summary of Appeal Target, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested (US$)

Total Appeal Target: 297,628 Anticipated Income: 0 Balance requested to ACT Network 297,628

Please kindly send your contributions to the following ACT bank account:

Account Number - 102539/0.01.061 (USD) Account Name: ACT - Action by Churches Together Banque Edouard Constant Cours de Rive 11 Case postale 3754 1211 Genève 3 SWITZERLAND

Please also inform the Finance Officer Jessie Kgoroeadira (direct tel. +4122/791.60.38, e-mail address [email protected]) of all pledges/contributions and transfers, including funds sent direct to the implementers, now that the Pledge Form is no longer attached to the Appeal.

We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit applications for EU, USAID and/or other back donor funding and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation.

For further information please contact: ACT Co-ordinator, Thor-Arne Prois (phone ++41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone ++ 41 79 203 6055) or ACT Appeals Officer, John Nduna (phone +41 22 791 6040 or mobile phone ++41 79 433 0592)

ACT Web Site address: http://www.act-intl.org

Ms. Geneviève Jacques Thor-Arne Prois Rev. Rudolf Hinz Director ACT Coordinator Director WCC/Cluster on Relations LWF/World Service

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I. REQUESTING ACT MEMBER

? Lutheran World Federation/World Service (LWF/WS) - Liberia Programme

II. IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER

The LWF/DWS Liberia Program began emergency assistance for victims of the Liberian Civil War in September 1990. Intervening initially in , LWF/DWS emergency operations were moved to Liberia in early 1991 and has since then, been expanded to cover 8 of Liberia’s 14 Counties during the last 10 years. During this period more than 600,000 persons were assisted under different emergency interventions that included a large-scale general food and non-food distribution, emergency school feeding, the construction and management of shelters for internally displaced people and Sierra Leonean refugees.

LWF/DWS continues to act as a major implementing partner of ACT, networking with other ACT partners in Liberia. In July 1999, a consolidated Appeal was launched for Liberia, involving other partners. The LWF/DWS section of this appeal originally intended to end in June, 2000, was extended to October, 2000. The appeal has officially ended and final reports submitted to the donors.

III. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMERGENCY SITUATION

The Liberian county of Lofa bordering Guinea and Sierra Leone has been besieged by insurgence fighting since early 1999. There have been several raids by insurgents allegedly based in Guinea. The upper portion of Lofa County (5 districts) have all been destabilized and plunged into instability. These attacks affecting the districts of , Kolahun, and Zorzor have left a trail of destruction of towns and villages and led to disruption of the farming system resulting into loss of harvest, disruption of basic social services including health, education, and access to clean water.

As result of the fighting between insurgents and government troops the entire population of the area, estimated to be 150,000 have had their lives severely disrupted. Most of them have had to abandon their farms and flee into remote villages for safety.

Current situation In February 2001, the latest fighting erupted in Kolahun District in Lofa, close to the Sierra Leonean border. This fighting has produced a new wave of internally displaced persons (IDPs). In addition to the 20,000 IDPs who moved to Salayea District following the October, 2000 fighting, an estimated 5,000 have moved further west and taken refuge in the districts of Kongba, Gbarma and Tubmanburg city in Bomi County. Major towns have been abandoned, with systematic looting going on. Houses are being burned and death toll still unknown.

Fighting continues in the area, between insurgents reportedly based in and supported by Guinea and the Liberian government troops. The Guinean authorities on the other hand have accused the Liberian government of supporting Guinean dissidents who are fighting inside Guinea. There has recently been reported attacks on Liberian border towns by Guinean gun ships.

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The situation in the area bordering Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea remains tense and very volatile. The fear of full scale war between Liberia and Guinea is not far fetched.

An estimated 100,000 Liberian refugees are trapped in Guinea where fighting is raging between rebels and Guinean government troops. Liberian refugees are particularly vulnerable given that the local people are accusing Liberia of fueling their civil conflict. By implication, refugees are presumed to be rebels. UNHCR has lost contact with most of these Liberian refugees and some of their Sierra Leone counterparts.

Impact on human lives The civilian casualties from recent cross border fighting remain unknown to date.

As mentioned above, an estimated 150,000 persons are on the run for their lives, most of them having abandoned the major towns and took refuge in remote villages, running from the fighting forces. The death toll will be known only after the cessation of hostilities and relief agencies have full access to the area. Homes of civilians fleeing the fighting have been completely looted; while some homes have been burned. The situation forced humanitarian agencies working in the area to either scale down their activities, while others have pulled out completely. An estimated 25,000 are in need of urgent attention and basic services: food, non food items, water, sanitation, and health services. Life for these displaced people is extremely difficult, having lost properties and their farm crops.

Schools are closed in the area. Once again the education of hundreds of thousands of Liberian children from this area, who had earlier lost a decade of schooling during the civil crisis, are again out of school. There is no functioning health facility in the area, so people are dying of common illnesses that could be treated.

Description of damages The war in Liberia destroyed nearly all infrastructures including private homes, public buildings, schools, hospitals and clinics. Opposing forces indiscriminately burned down buildings. There is a lost of harvest, tools, seeds and other properties including household utensils. Fighters massively looted these items.

In the part of the country (upper part of Lofa County) with the current fighting, whatever little infrastructure was left up to the end of the Liberian civil crisis (1997), has now been destroyed. The full scale of the destruction will only be known once LWF/DWS and other agencies are able to access the entire area and do a full scale assessment of the damages that are still up to now being done.

Example of the damages is the destruction of Curran Hospital, a Lutheran Church run hospital in Zorzor, which up to October, 2000 served thousands of residents and displaced in the area. Furniture, hospital equipment, drugs, doors belonging to this health center were all looted. The Curran Hospital was among institutions renovated with contributions from donors including those of ACT. A mobile clinic has instead been established which caters to the health needs of the internally displaced and residents of Salayea, Zorzor and Belle Districts. This is one of the activities LWF/DWS propose to assist under the current appeal.

Location for proposed response LWF/DWS proposes to assist IDPs in Lofa County, affected by the current hostilities in the area: specifically, the districts of Salayea.

Special attention will be given to the internally displaced persons, numbering about 25,000 (20,000 in

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Salayea District in Upper Lofa and 5,000 in the districts of Kongba, Gbarma in Lofa County and in Tubmanburg, Bomi County). There is an estimated IDP population of 5,000 persons who have trekked through the forests and ended up in the lower part of Lofa County and in Bomi County, while there is a displaced population of 20,000 in Salayea District.

The project will therefore take place in the following districts and , where the IDPs are currently residing. In Lofa County, the project will take place in Salayea, Kongba, Gbarma, still relative safe; in Bomi County, Tubmaburg. All of these areas fall within the current operational areas of LWF/DWS of Liberia.

IV. GOAL & OBJECTIVES

Goal: Assist internally displaced persons fleeing fighting in Lofa County.

Objective: Provide emergency assistance to 25,000 internally displaced persons fleeing fighting in Lofa and are now displaced in Lofa and Bomi Counties, over a period of six months (March 15, – September 15, 2001).

V. TARGETED BENEFICIARIES

This project will target to 25,000 internally displaced persons mainly women and children as well as older people. These people are displaced in the districts of Salayea, Kongba and Gbarma in Lofa, and Tubmanburg in Bomi County.

Below is a breakdown of displaced people and their present locations: No. COUNTY DISTRICT Towns Population IDPS 1. Lofa Salayea Kpaiyea 3,000 2. “ “ Gbanway 2,500 3. “ “ Yarpuah 3,000 4. “ “ Telemai 1,500 5. “ “ Salayea 3,500 6. “ “ Telemu 1,000 7. “ “ Gorlue 3,000 8. “ “ Ganglota 2,000 9. “ Kongba Tabay 1,100 10. “ “ Kumgbo 300 12. “ Gbarma Gbarma Town 500 11. Bomi Klay Tubmanburg 700 12. Lofa-Bomi Kongba, Gbarma Various 2,900* Total 25,000 * Exact location to be verified after registration.

VI. PROPOSED EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE & IMPLEMENTATION

In collaboration with local implementing partners and with the active participation of key community and institutional leaders, this appeal plans the following specific activities: food and non-food distribution, water and sanitation improvements, support to a mobile clinic.

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LWF/DWS implementing this appeal will supplement some of the assistance to be received under this Appeal.

These will include all food commodities to be solicited from the World Food Program and a consignment of non-food items donated by Lutheran World Relief. Other items will be locally procured, depending on funding availability.

The following activities are proposed for implementation for the period March 2001 to September 2001

Project Implementation A project management team will be established which will have sole responsibility for supervision of all activities under this Appeal. This team will closely coordinate its activities with the Program Coordination Unit for proper implementation of activities proposed in this Appeal.

Assessment of IDPs During the implementation period of this Appeal, four (4) inter-agency assessments will be made to follow up conditions of the displaced and to monitor the security situation with the intent of gaining access to areas from which the displaced come. The assessment will also help to determine when it is feasible for the eventual return of the IDPs. These assessments will take place once every two months during the span of this Appeal.

Targeted Food Distribution A total of 25,000 persons are targeted under this activity to benefit from food distribution. They include mostly women, children and the elderly.

Non-Food Item Distribution Donated non-food items will also be distributed to the newly displaced, numbering about 25,000 IDPs. The non food-items will include used clothes, quilts or blankets and layettes for babies.

As farmers had to flee their farms without harvesting them, thus leaving behind all tools and other vegetable seeds LWF/DWS plans to purchase assorted tools and seeds and distribute to the displaced population. This will enable the IDPs to cultivate short duration crops (rice, vegetables, roots and tuber crops) that will supplement relief supplies. This is necessary because it is not clearly established for how long the IDPs will be away from their original homes. Each family will be supplied 100 grams of vegetable and a tool kit comprising 2 cutlasses, 2 hoes, two shovels, 1 rake and 1 watering can. 25 kg of seeds rice and 20 bundles of cassava cuttings. The displaced will be encouraged to form groups and these groups will receive rice seeds for lowland farming. Vulnerable farm families among the host communities (e. g. women heads of households) will also benefit from this distribution. About 5,000 family heads are expected to be served in the effected areas.

Emergency Repairs of Basic Infrastructure In order to ensure that the IDPs are provided water and sanitation facilities, this project will augment the existing facilities in the communities hosting the displaced. A total of 10 wells will be constructed and 10 wells will be repaired. Also 40 latrines will be constructed in the same locations.

Support to Curran Lutheran Hospital Mobile Clinic The Curran Lutheran Hospital (now closed as a result of vandalism in October, 2000 when its facilities were totally destroyed and looted) now runs a Mobile clinic in Salayea District. This mobile clinic caters to the

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IDPs. This project plans to support this clinic with running costs for the vehicles, staff incentive for the staff and drugs. This mobile clinic is the only access to a health facility in Salayea Distrct, hosting majority of the IDPs. The clinic transfers critical cases to the Phebe Hospital, in the neighboring county of Bong in central Liberia, some 45 kilometers from Salayea.

VII. TRANSITION FROM EMERGENCY

Several factors have been built into this Appeal that will help to begin a transition from emergency assistance provided to the displaced. The provision of seeds and tools to the displaced to resume agricultural activities during their displacement, will help them learn improved and sustainable farming practices. The knowledge and experience gained will be transferred to the original homes upon their return.

During the implementation of this Appeal assessment will be carried to assist in the eventual resettlement of the beneficiaries to their original homes when security is restored. Areas of focus will be the restoration of basic infrastructures including schools, clinic, water and sanitation facilities, homes, the sensitization and mobilization of the displaced and the training of community based animators who will work with the displaced upon their eventual return to their original communities. By working through local NGOs and community based organizations (CBOs) where they exist and encouraging the organization of groups where they do not exist will help to make the transition possible.

As part of plans for the transition assistance to develop infrastructure will be with the full participation of beneficiaries and that they will continue to take a leading role in the operations and maintenance of the facilities.

Support of LWF/DWS Offices & Mechanical Workshop In order to effectively implement activities in this appeal, administrative and logistical backstopping will be required in two sub-offices located in regions where project activities will be implemented, with providing the overall administrative and logistical backstopping.

The main mechanical workshop located in Monrovia needs to be strengthened, from where field vehicles used for project implementation will undergo all major maintenance and repairs. This workshop will require support mainly in terms of salaries for support staff, office running cost and the repairs and running cost of support vehicles.

The LWF/DWS office formerly based in Zorzor had to be closed down last October when fighting reached Zorzor and is now temporarily based at the Phebe compound in . This unit will be strengthened to implement the project in Salayea District, where the 20,000 IDPs are presently located. Overnight accommodation and shorter visits will be made at the Lutheran Training Institute compound, but the main activities of assistance to the displaced in this part of the country will be coordinated from Phebe. This office will need support in terms of transportation, fuel, warehousing, administrative and logistical staff and their support for the distribution and other activities planned in this appeal.

The other logistical support base will be in Tubmanburg, Bomi County. This base will provide easy access to the estimated 5000 IDPs who recently moved in that direction, following the outbreak of the February, 2001 in Lofa. Tubmanburg itself is to date hosting 700 IDPs. This number could increase if the fighting continues. This base office in Tubmanburg will need support in terms of fuel depot, warehousing, stationery, staff offices

Liberia – Relief for Internally Displaced & Returnees 8 AFLR-11 and accommodation, since there is no base in the districts of Gbarma, Kongba where the rest of the 5000 displaced are settled.

VIII. ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, MONITORING AND REPORTING

Project Administration LWF Liberia program has it main office in Monrovia where the Resident Representative, Administrative and Finance Section and the Program Coordination unit are based. This office takes care of procurement of all items, clearance of goods and transport to the other sub offices, accounting and clearance of reports through the Program and Finance Office before submission to donors.

Project Finance Management and Controls LWF’s financial systems and controls are based on procedures that are consistent with internationally accepted principles. Narrative and financial reports will be sent to ACT office in Geneva as per the schedule and the Appeal’s financial report will be subjected to both internal and external audit and the result submitted to ACT.

Project Monitoring procedures The monitoring and evaluation of activities carried out by LWF/DWS under this appeal will be the responsibility of LWF Program Coordination Unit, based in Monrovia. Monitoring and evaluation will be done through regular field visits and results will be incorporated in the narrative reports that are submitted as per the donor’s request.

IX. IMPLEMENTATION TIME TABLE

Proposed Duration: March 15, 2001 – September 15, 2001.

The general schedule for implementation of activities proposed in this Appeal is as follows:

Schedule of Activity – March 15 to September 15, 2001

Months 15 Mar April May June July Aug Sept 15

Assessment X Establish 2 logistical bases X Registration/verification of X X beneficiaries Procurement, transport of X commodities to EDPs (= extended delivery points) Implementation X X X X X X Monitoring X X X Reporting to ACT/donors X Close-up X

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X. BUDGET

Description Type of No of Units Cost of Unit Budget Unit USD

DIRECT ASSISTANCE

WATER AND SANITATION Material & construction of hand pumps Units 10 2,500 25,000 Material & repair of hand pumps Units 10 100 1,000 Material & labor construct. Instit. latrines Units 5 2,000 10,000 Sub total 36,000

HEALTH AND MEDICAL INPUTS Stethoscopes pcs 20 5.00 100 Syringes (100 pcs/pk) pk 50 4.00 200 Needles (100 pcs/pk) pk 150 2.00 300 Cotton wool gram 20 1.90 38 Adhesive tape pcs 250 7.33 1,833 Suture abs caught chro 2/0 w/n box 50 11.31 566 Suture abs syn braided 3/0 wnd box 50 27.78 1,389 Suture abs syn braide 4/0 w/nd box 50 33.59 1,680 Umbilical cord pcs 60 3.60 216 Scales pcs 3 50.00 150 Urine bags pcs 200 0.28 56 Bandages Packs 100 1.40 140 Themometer metal celesius pcs 60 0.44 26 Patient recording forms pcs 2,500 1.25 3,125 Sub Total 9,818

Agricultural Inputs Seeds and Tools farmers 4,000 10 40,000

Road Construction/Rehabilitation Equipment to repair roads/bridges Set 1 6000 6,000

Total Direct Assistance 91,818

MATERIAL TRANSPORT, STORAGE & HANDLING

Material Transport Truck rental and maintenance Month 4 9,000 36,000 2 Pick ups - rental Month 6 3,000 18,000 Storage, Warehousing, Handling - Warehouse Rental (2 warehouses) Month 6 300 1,800 - Labour for Loading & Unloading Month 6 75 450 - Other Costs (Clearing/Storage & Wareh.) Month 6 1000 6,000

Total Material Transport, Storage & handling 62,250

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT

Computer and peripheral Set 1 3,500 3,500

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PERSONNEL, ADMINISTRATION, OPERATI ONS & SUPPORT Staff Salaries and Benefits Project staff salaries (46 staff x $ 240/m) Month 6 11,050 66,300

Description Type of No of Units Cost of Unit Budget Unit USD

Travel Local travel month 6 300 1,800 Program monitoring Trips 2 500 1,000 Assessment mission IDPS Trips 4 500 2,000 Office operations Office rental Month 6 300 1,800 Repair and maintenance office equipment month 6 500 3,000 Office stationery & supplies month 6 1450 8,700 Sat phone/fax/e-mail Month 6 300 1,800 Vehicle Operations Fuel 15/gal/truck 2 trucks 24days/6 months Gallons 4,320 3.50 15,120 Fuel@5gal/days x2x24x6months Gallons 1,440 5,040 Fuel Jeep 5gal/dayx24 dayx6months Gallons 720 2,520 Fuel 3 motorbikes@5Gal/week/6months Gallons 360 1,260 Maintenance and insurance m.bikes + Jeep Month 6 1,050 6,300 Fuel 3 generators@1020gal/month 6 mths Gallons 6,120 21,420

Total Personnel, Admin etc 138,060

AUDIT & EVALUATION Audit of Act Appeal Funds Lump sum 2,000

TOTAL EXPENDITURE - ACT/LWF PROGRAMME 297,628