The humanitarian situation
in the Forest Region of the Republic of Guinea remains highly complex
in 2003. The various conflicts that have marred the sub-region for
over a decade have led to wave upon wave of forced displacements.
An isle of relative tranquillity in a sea of turmoil, Guinea has thus
become the country of asylum for Sierra Leonean, Ivorian, and Liberian
refugees alike.
The later remain a majority
among the assisted population living in Guinea, given the recent positive
political developments in both the Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone that
have allowed for the repatriation of their nationals. The Liberian
refugees have, for their part, been regrouped in three camps of the
Guinea Forest Region, namely the camps of Kola, Kouankan, and Lainé.
It is Kouankan camp sheltering some 33,000 souls, that has over the
past months acquired notoriety as a rear base for the Liberian LURD
rebellion (c.f. the Human Rights Watch report).
Concerned by the violation
of the civilian and impartial character of the camp, and alarmed by
the humanitarian and political implications that any assistance could
mean under such circumstances, the UNHCR and Guinean government took
the decision in early May to transfer the beneficiaries of Kouankan
to the camps of Albadaria in the vicinity of Kissidougou (about 300km
from Kouankan). UNHCR has asked ACT member the Lutheran World Federation/World
Service (LWF/WS) to provide agriculture activities and mental
health care for the transferred refugee population. So far, 5,300
of the 33,000 refugees in Kouankan have already been transferred to
Albadaria. It is hoped that the geographical distance will be enough
to prevent any political abuse or military usurping of the camps,
ensuring the humanitarian character of the assistance provided there.
In the hope of continuing
to assist the Liberian refugees who will be transferred, the Guinea
Program of LWF/ACT intends to open a small operational base in Kissidougou.
Although such an intervention had not been initially planned in the
budgetary prevision for 2003, it is of utmost importance that the
assistance provided to these beneficiaries, once more victims of political
developments, be continued. To this effect, the funds initially planned
for Kouankan will now be used to sustain the activities of Kissidougou.
LWF&WS has written
a letter of intent to the UNHCR sub-office in Kissidougou to inform
them of the plans, taking into account the pre-existing projects of
other NGOs already active in the region so as to avoid any duplication
of assistance. Both the Agricultural program and the medical segment
of the Mental Health project caught their attention because of the
proven track record of LWF in these domains, and because of the positive
impacts these programs would have on the beneficiary population of
the Albadaria camps.
Some of the ACT funds planned
for 2003 refugee assistance activities in Kouankan will thus have
to be used to start the mental health and agriculture component in
the Kissidougou area. This change has no direct implication for the
total amount of the AFGN31 Guinea appeal, which will remain the same,
as it concerns predominantly a change in location of activities. Moreover,
some of the refugee assistance activities being implemented in Kouankan,
like literacy classes and income generation activities, will not be
implemented by LWF in the Kissidougou area as other NGOs are already
involved in those sectors.
LWF/WS also informs the
ACT CO that the refugee population in Laineh camp is about 19,000
now, instead of 6,000 mentioned in the ACT Appeal AFGN 31. The provision
of 11,000 new arrivals (page 5 of appeal) is therefore predominantly
used for Laineh camp extension.
