Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Eritrea 2002 |

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Date: 26 Nov 2001

In February of 2001, the UN Country Team (UNCT) in Eritrea issued a first full-fledged inter-agency Consolidated Appeal (CA) in response to a humanitarian situation that had deteriorated rapidly during the course of 2000. The first half of 2000 saw the resumption of hostilities between Eritrea and Ethiopia (on 12 May 2000) and the worsening effects of the protracted drought that affected much of the Horn of Africa. By mid-2000, approximately one million Eritreans, the majority being women and children from the war-affected regions of Debub and Gash Barka, were displaced within Eritrea and across international borders (i.e. to Sudan, Yemen and Djibouti). A total of 1.6 million persons were affected by the war, drought, or a combination of these factors.

The 12 December 2000 Algiers Peace Agreement brought a formal end to the fighting and allowed some displaced persons to begin returning to areas previously insecure and/or inaccessible. With the arrival in late 2000 of military observers and a 4,200 strong UN peacekeeping mission, UNMEE, and the establishment of a Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) along the southern border of Eritrea in April 2001, thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs), previously accommodated in camps began to return - some spontaneously, others with assistance from the Government and the international community. To date, 170,000 IDPs have been assisted to return to their home areas. A remaining 73,749 IDPs, have been unable to do so as their home areas remain inaccessible due to contamination by mines/unexploded ordnances (UXOs), insecurity, or the fact that several villages are under Ethiopian control or have been completely destroyed. In addition to IDPs, more than 13,000 persons expelled/deporte! ! d from Ethiopia are being accommodated in camps in Eritrea.

2001 also saw the return of Eritrean refugees, mainly from Sudan, some of which spent the last 20-30 years in neighbouring countries. As of September 2001, 21,000 refugees had returned to Eritrea with the assistance of the Government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It is planned that a further 41,000 refugees will be assisted to return in 2001; an additional 90,000 are scheduled to return in 2002. Although good rains were received in many parts of the country in 2001, drought continued to affect more than 524,000 persons in Eritrea as of mid-September 2001.

This second inter-agency CA for Eritrea reflects the need to continue providing significant levels of emergency assistance. Food aid for vulnerable war- and drought-affected groups comprises the bulk of the required assistance in 2002. However, medium- to long-term programmes are equally important, in particular those aimed at completing the return of displaced persons, where possible, and contributing to the restoration of socio-economic conditions in the country. As such, the UNCT will focus on return, reintegration, rehabilitation, and reconstruction programmes in non-food sectors with a total value of over US$ 66 million. In terms of food aid, it is expected that the UN will continue to provide emergency food aid to 800,000 most vulnerable persons in 2002. The total value of interventions in the food sector amounts to over US$ 54 million. In relative terms, the non-food sectors constitute 54.8% of the total amount appealed for in the present CA. In 2001, non-food sector! ! s amounted to just 31.2% of the original requirement; 36.9% of the revised requirement.

Within the above framework, the goals of UN agencies participating in the 2002 Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) are to:

Support the ongoing efforts of the Government to effect the safe and expeditious return and sustainable reintegration of IDPs, refugees, demobilised soldiers, and expellees/deportees and address remaining emergency needs of vulnerable groups until such time as greater self-reliance is achieved;
Support the resumption of farming and other income generating activities in war- and drought-affected areas with a view to increasing the self-reliance of returning IDPs and refugees, and drought-affected groups;
Complement Government efforts to restore basic social and community services, rehabilitate infrastructure, and conduct emergency mine action in areas of return; and
Link emergency assistance efforts to longer-term reconstruction initiatives in order to prepare for a phase-out of emergency operations and a smooth transition to development through the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).

In line with the theme of the 2002 Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) - "Reaching the Vulnerable" - the UN agencies have also placed a particular emphasis on identifying and highlighting the needs of especially vulnerable groups. In 2002 it is expected that these will include, among others, returnees (including IDPs and refugees), host communities, IDPs still in camps, demobilised soldiers, and drought-affected populations. Within these groups, women and children will remain a high priority.

The Appeal for 2002 is the result of extensive in-country consultations coordinated by the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and supported by OCHA. In July 2001, a CAP Workshop was held in Asmara during which representatives of the Government, UN agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, and Donors explored issues related to strategic and sector planning, relevant humanitarian principles and human rights, and lessons learned in 2001. The conclusions reached during the Workshop were expanded upon during Sectoral Working Group (SWG) meetings and subsequent consultations that took place in August and September 2001 as part of the compilation process of the present Appeal document. Projects included in the Appeal are based on sectoral needs assessments carried out, as necessary, within the context of the SWGs during the same period.

This Appeal covers a significant part, but not all, of expected humanitarian needs in Eritrea in 2002. Many vital programmes undertaken by the Government, international organisations, or the NGO community are funded outside the framework of the CAP. However, in order to effectively address their part of the wider humanitarian intervention in Eritrea, ten UN agencies and entities are appealing for US$ 120,463,547 for 23 projects in 11 sectors as part of this Appeal. Funding is urgently required to ensure that efforts made in 2001 are built upon and that continued emergency relief needs are met and vital initiatives aimed at return, reintegration, recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction are adequately supported.

	Search this page for: Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Date: 26 Nov 2001 Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Eritrea 2002 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In February of 2001, the UN Country Team (UNCT) in Eritrea issued a first full-fledged inter-agency Consolidated Appeal (CA) in response to a humanitarian situation that had deteriorated rapidly during the course of 2000. The first half of 2000 saw the resumption of hostilities between Eritrea and Ethiopia (on 12 May 2000) and the worsening effects of the protracted drought that affected much of the Horn of Africa. By mid-2000, approximately one million Eritreans, the majority being women and children from the war-affected regions of Debub and Gash Barka, were displaced within Eritrea and across international borders (i.e. to Sudan, Yemen and Djibouti). A total of 1.6 million persons were affected by the war, drought, or a combination of these factors. The 12 December 2000 Algiers Peace Agreement brought a formal end to the fighting and allowed some displaced persons to begin returning to areas previously insecure and/or inaccessible. With the arrival in late 2000 of military observers and a 4,200 strong UN peacekeeping mission, UNMEE, and the establishment of a Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) along the southern border of Eritrea in April 2001, thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs), previously accommodated in camps began to return - some spontaneously, others with assistance from the Government and the international community. To date, 170,000 IDPs have been assisted to return to their home areas. A remaining 73,749 IDPs, have been unable to do so as their home areas remain inaccessible due to contamination by mines/unexploded ordnances (UXOs), insecurity, or the fact that several villages are under Ethiopian control or have been completely destroyed. In addition to IDPs, more than 13,000 persons expelled/deporte! ! d from Ethiopia are being accommodated in camps in Eritrea. 2001 also saw the return of Eritrean refugees, mainly from Sudan, some of which spent the last 20-30 years in neighbouring countries. As of September 2001, 21,000 refugees had returned to Eritrea with the assistance of the Government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It is planned that a further 41,000 refugees will be assisted to return in 2001; an additional 90,000 are scheduled to return in 2002. Although good rains were received in many parts of the country in 2001, drought continued to affect more than 524,000 persons in Eritrea as of mid-September 2001. This second inter-agency CA for Eritrea reflects the need to continue providing significant levels of emergency assistance. Food aid for vulnerable war- and drought-affected groups comprises the bulk of the required assistance in 2002. However, medium- to long-term programmes are equally important, in particular those aimed at completing the return of displaced persons, where possible, and contributing to the restoration of socio-economic conditions in the country. As such, the UNCT will focus on return, reintegration, rehabilitation, and reconstruction programmes in non-food sectors with a total value of over US$ 66 million. In terms of food aid, it is expected that the UN will continue to provide emergency food aid to 800,000 most vulnerable persons in 2002. The total value of interventions in the food sector amounts to over US$ 54 million. In relative terms, the non-food sectors constitute 54.8% of the total amount appealed for in the present CA. In 2001, non-food sector! ! s amounted to just 31.2% of the original requirement; 36.9% of the revised requirement. Within the above framework, the goals of UN agencies participating in the 2002 Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) are to: Support the ongoing efforts of the Government to effect the safe and expeditious return and sustainable reintegration of IDPs, refugees, demobilised soldiers, and expellees/deportees and address remaining emergency needs of vulnerable groups until such time as greater self-reliance is achieved; Support the resumption of farming and other income generating activities in war- and drought-affected areas with a view to increasing the self-reliance of returning IDPs and refugees, and drought-affected groups; Complement Government efforts to restore basic social and community services, rehabilitate infrastructure, and conduct emergency mine action in areas of return; and Link emergency assistance efforts to longer-term reconstruction initiatives in order to prepare for a phase-out of emergency operations and a smooth transition to development through the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). In line with the theme of the 2002 Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) - "Reaching the Vulnerable" - the UN agencies have also placed a particular emphasis on identifying and highlighting the needs of especially vulnerable groups. In 2002 it is expected that these will include, among others, returnees (including IDPs and refugees), host communities, IDPs still in camps, demobilised soldiers, and drought-affected populations. Within these groups, women and children will remain a high priority. The Appeal for 2002 is the result of extensive in-country consultations coordinated by the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and supported by OCHA. In July 2001, a CAP Workshop was held in Asmara during which representatives of the Government, UN agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, and Donors explored issues related to strategic and sector planning, relevant humanitarian principles and human rights, and lessons learned in 2001. The conclusions reached during the Workshop were expanded upon during Sectoral Working Group (SWG) meetings and subsequent consultations that took place in August and September 2001 as part of the compilation process of the present Appeal document. Projects included in the Appeal are based on sectoral needs assessments carried out, as necessary, within the context of the SWGs during the same period. This Appeal covers a significant part, but not all, of expected humanitarian needs in Eritrea in 2002. Many vital programmes undertaken by the Government, international organisations, or the NGO community are funded outside the framework of the CAP. However, in order to effectively address their part of the wider humanitarian intervention in Eritrea, ten UN agencies and entities are appealing for US$ 120,463,547 for 23 projects in 11 sectors as part of this Appeal. Funding is urgently required to ensure that efforts made in 2001 are built upon and that continued emergency relief needs are met and vital initiatives aimed at return, reintegration, recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction are adequately supported. ERITREA - BASIC FACT SHEET Demographics Total Population (2000): 3.29 Million Population Growth Rate (1999): 3% Population Density (2000): 26.1 (people/sq km) Urban Population (2000) : 18% of total Socio-Economic Indicators GNP Per Capita (1998): US$ 200 GDP Per Capita (1998): US$ 175 Real GDP Growth (1997-2000): 1997: 7.9 % 1998: 4.0 % 1999: 0.8 % 2000: -8.2 % Life Expectancy at Birth (1999): Female: 53.2 years Male: 50.4 years Average: 51.8 years Infant Mortality Rate: 70/1000 Maternal Mortality Rate: 998/100,000 Adult Literacy (1999): 52.7% Overview of Humanitarian Situation Total Number of Food Aid Beneficiaries targeted by UN in 2002: 800,000 Number of IDPs in Camps: 50,239 Number of IDPs in Host Communities: 14,199 Number of IDPs Outside Camps: 9,311 Expellees/Deportees from Ethiopia: 13,694 Number of Drought-Affected Persons: 524,098 Total Number of Eritrean Refugees expected to Return from Sudan in 2002: 90,000 Total Number of Refugees in Eritrea: 1,922 Number to be demobilized under Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme (DRP): 200,000

	Sector	Requirements (US$)
	Food and Food Security	58,472,059
	Voluntary Repatriation and Reintegration/Protection and Assistance to Refugees	28,145,330
	Family Shelter and Household Items	9,011,902
	Health and Nutrition	8,709,068
	Mine Action	8,284,300
	Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation	2,580,000
	Education	2,000,000
	Socio-economic Recovery	992,000
	Coordination	896,388
	Communication	556,500
	Protection and Psycho-social Care	816,000
	Grand Total	120,463,547

	Appealing Agency / Organisation	Requirements (US$)
	World Food Programme	54,395,000
	United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees	28,145,330
	United Nations Children's Fund	10,292,500
	United Nations Development Programme	10,248,202
	United Nations Mine Action Service	6,208,000
	Food and Agriculture Organization	4,077,059
	United Nations Population Fund	3,284,808
	World Health Organization	1,924,260
	United Nations Industrial Development Organization	992,000
	Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs	896,388
	Grand Total	120,463,547
	TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary Eritrea - Basic Fact Sheet Table I: Funding Requirements - By Sector and Appealing Agency/Organisation The Year in Review Financial Overview Changes in the Humanitarian Situation Progress Made Towards Strategic Goals Lessons Learned Current Humanitarian Context Context Humanitarian Principles and Human Rights Issues Statement of Humanitarian and Guiding Principles Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) Introduction Scenarios Complementarity with Other Actors Competencies and Capacity Analysis Strategic Goals (2-3 Years) Short-Term Goals (2002/ Duration of the Present Cap) Sectoral Analysis and Objectives Financial Tables Table II: List of Project Activities - By Agency Table III: List of Project Activities - By Sector Food and Food Security Health and Nutrition Water and Environmental Sanitation Family Shelter and Household Items Education Protection / Psycho-Social Care Communication Socio-Economic Recovery Mine Action Coordination Voluntary Repatriation and Reintegration Protection and Assistance to Refugees Annex I. Coordination Mechanisms in Eritrea Annex II. NGO Activities in Eritrea Annex III. Donor Response for the 2001 Appeal Annex IV. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Annex V. Acronyms and Abbreviations Note: The full text of this appeal is available on-line in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format and may also be downloaded in zipped MS Word format. * Get the Adobe Acrobat Viewer (free) For additional copies, please contact: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Palais des Nations 8-14 Avenue de la Paix CH - 1211 Geneva, Switzerland Tel.: (41 22) 917.1972 Fax: (41 22) 917.0368 E-Mail: cap@reliefweb.int Page top