Bulletin 7 UNJLC Liberia
Document Actions
Bulletin No 7
24-30 September 2003
UNJLC bulletins aim to provide a concise weekly overview of UNJLC activities and the present logistical situation in regard to the crisis in Liberia.
In addition sector/country specific reports will be released regularly in order to provide in-depth coverage of priority areas.
Contact details for all UNJLC offices are available on the UNJLC website.
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CONTENTS
1. HIGHLIGHTSWFP West Africa Air Service flights to Freetown will resume on 1st October. This is as a result of a successfully negotiated exemption from landing fees for Air Service flights. The UNJLC/GTZ transport survey and the UNJLC warehousing survey have both reported their initial findings. The final transport report is expected by the end of the week, the warehousing survey is to be finalised within three weeks. The UNMIL deployment plan has been announced, and is outlined below 2. SECURITYUN Security Phases for Liberia remain Phase 4 for Monrovia and Phase 5 for the rest of the country. The first UN assessment mission to Gbanga took place on 30th September. Both the WFP Security Officer and the OCHA Civil-Military Co-ordination Officer participated. Details to be provided pending the Security OfficerâÂÂs report. WFP retrieved a Hino truck from LURD during the week. This was carried out with the assistance of ECOMIL. 3. AIR OPERATIONSThe WFP West Africa Air Service operations continue to develop: Schedule: During the week WFP West Africa Air Services were limited to Abidjan and Monrovia only. Flights to Freetown were temporarily halted until the issue of landing fees was resolved. A representative of the WFP West Africa Air Service travelled to Freetown to negotiate an exemption on landing fees, a status enjoyed by all other UN air operations using Sierra Leonean airports. As a result of these negotiations, this exemption will be extended to the WFP West Africa Air Service as of 1st October, and flights to Freetown will resume on the same day. The schedule for WFP West Africa Air Service flights can be downloaded from the UNJLC website. Booking: A simplified Passenger Booking Form has been issued and is available for download on the UNJLC website. Further modifications to the form will occur during the coming week in order to allow for the inclusion of information relating to onward/connecting flights. As awareness of the WFP West Africa Air Service continues to grow, the number of booking requests being received has steadily increased and flights are expected to be operating at full capacity in the near future. Immigration: UNJLC liased with UNMIL regarding its efforts to standardise immigration procedures at Roberts International Airport (RIA). As a result, UNJLC have handed over the issue to UNMIL who are currently in negotiations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure a standard flat rate for immigration charges as they relate to the Humanitarian Community as a whole. Contacts: Contacts for the WFP West Africa Air Service are:
The current priority of the WFP West Africa Air Service is to continue exploration into and liaison with other air services to ensure the most effective coverage for the needs of the Humanitarian Community. As part of this process, UNJLC has been liasing with UNHCR and UNMIL with regards to their prospective air operations in order to optimise those features common to both air services. Work continues on the creation of both a detailed plan of RIA, and a map of flights both to/from and within the region. These will be distributed upon completion. 4. SEA PORT OPERATIONSOn 30th September UNJLC facilitated a meeting of the senior logistics officers of WFP, UNHCR, and UNICEF with UNMIL in order to discuss future usage of the Freeport of Monrovia. Agreement was reached on a number of issues including port charges, warehousing space, wreck removal, and the prioritisation of humanitarian vessels. UNJLC will co-ordinate the execution of the action points arising out of the meeting. UNJLC continued to refine its overview of customs and immigration procedures through further interaction with the Commissioner for Customs. Latest information is being incorporated into the draft document before review by both the UN Country Team and the Commissioner for Customs. Designated Customs collectorates in Liberia are as follows:
6. TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE (Roads, Bridges, Rail, Ports, Airports, Warehouse)The UNJLC/GTZ transport survey has delivered its first results. To date a total of 16 transport companies have been located, and it is estimated that the remaining firms in Monrovia can be catalogued by the end of the week. Details collected include the number of vehicles, vehicle type, tonnage of vehicles, company areas of operation, and indicative rates. All main company offices have been plotted for inclusion on a map complete with contact names and numbers. The full report will be distributed next week. The UNJLC warehousing survey of Monrovia is underway. Approximately 100 structures have been located and details are being collected on these, while other buildings are identified. It is estimated that full details of the report will be available within three weeks, although information will be distributed weekly as it is collected. Each warehouse is being plotted for inclusion on a map, which will be provided interested parties upon completion. A joint UN mission to Zwedru was undertaken between 22nd-26th September. The mission proceeded from Guiglo and Toulepleu in Ivory Coast to Toe Town and Zwedru in Liberia.
7. LOGISTICS COORDINATIONThe seventh weekly Joint Logistics Meeting was held at 11.00 hours in the HOC, ground floor of the WFP building. UNJLC provided information on vehicles available for rent in Monrovia and handed out the latest delivery of UNJLC planning maps. All UNJLC maps are downloadable from the UNJLC website. Key concerns raised by participants included the current confusion regarding customs and immigration fees. It was reported that as much as US$500 has been demanded in additional payments from humanitarian organisations importing through Monrovia Freeport. UNJLC explained that it is currently in the process of both documenting existing customs and immigration procedures and charges, and negotiating humanitarian specific rates (see Air Operations, Sea Port Operations and Border Crossing, Customs and Immigration). Additional concerns raised were the problems of securing cash from banks in Monrovia. As such, a request was made for UNJLC to facilitate the collection of information on bank charges, rates, contact persons and numbers, and procedures. 8. CIVIL-MILITARY COORDINATIONUNMIL will deploy into four sectors:
The deployment plan consists of four phases:
The second weekly Civil Military Co-ordination (CMCoord) meeting convened on 27th September. Co-ordination with UNMIL, represented at the meeting, comprised the main topic of discussion during the meeting. Oleksandr Grebenyuk, UNJLC Civil-Military Liaison Officer, arrived in Monrovia on 29th September. He will act as liaison with UNMIL at operational level in order to optimise the harmonisation of the logistics efforts of the UN Agencies and UN Mission. Mobile: +377 47 532 378. ECOMIL Emergency Response HOTLINE: +377 47 530 172/530 173 ECOMIL Force Commander: Brigadier General Festus Okonkwo, Nigeria. Chief of Operations: Colonel Mark, Nigeria: +377 47 523 675 Civil-Military Co-ordination Officer:Lt Col Logonda, Togo: +377 47 529 882 UN Civil-Military Co-ordination: Willy Peerens: +377 47 530 434 WFP Civil-Military Liaison: Albert Fiawosime: +377 47 530 209 UNHCR Civil-Military Liaison: Harry Leefe: +377 47 530 180 9. FUEL (Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene) /COMMODITY PRICESThe exchange rate to the US$ fell from 58 on 23rd September to 50 on 30th September. This drop is reportedly due in part to the increase in US dollars on the market following end of month salary payments. Fuel Prices
Commodity Prices
10. LIBERIA UNJLC STAFF
UNJLC Offices are located on the ground floor of the WFP building, UN Drive, Mamba Point, Monrovia. 11. OTHERUNJLC has handed over its responsibilities in the transportation of IDPs to OCHA and UNHCR. The transportation element of the programme to resettle IDPs from shelters in Monrovia to renovated camps outside of the city was co-ordinated by UNJLC from 11-18th September in which time a total of 2,538 vulnerable IDPs were relocated using assets from UNMIL, UNHCR, and ECOMIL. The decision by many IDPs to return unassisted meant that transportation needs were fewer than originally planned, and UNJLC was able to hand over its responsibilities to OCHA and UNHCR who now operate the relocation project in its entirety. |
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