HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS OFFICE IN GUINEA REPORTS INCREASING NUMBERS OF REFUGEES CROSSING BORDER FROM LIBERIA

HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS OFFICE IN GUINEA REPORTS INCREASING

NUMBERS OF REFUGEES CROSSING BORDER FROM LIBERIA

NEW YORK, 19 September (OCHA) -- Following fighting in northern Liberia since late August, the Nzerekoré region has seen an increase in arrivals of Liberian refugees with some 5,500 Liberian refugees having arrived from 29 August to 18 September.  No arrivals of Guinean returnees or third country nationals have been reported to date.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Guinea is concerned with early warning signs indicating a lack of compliance with the recent peace agreement signed by the warring factions in Liberia, which may translate into further population movements across the border into the prefectures of Yomou and Macenta in Guinea.

Between 13 and 18 September, some 3,000 Liberian refugees arrived at the border point of Fassankoni in Macenta Prefecture, across the border from Zorzor in Liberia.  To date, 1,636 Liberians have reportedly been registered by Guinean authorities in Fassankoni and some 500 are awaiting formal registration.  It is unclear how many people are still waiting on the other side.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is planning to transfer the newly arriving refugees to the Kouankan camp hosting Liberian refugees at a rate of 300 to 450 persons per day starting today, 19 September 2003.  Due to very poor road conditions, the German development agency GTZ will start working immediately on providing basic repair to the most critical areas.  Main points of entry so far for September are in the areas of Fassankoni (Macenta Prefecture), Bignamou and Baala/Diecke (Youmou Prefecture) and Thuo/Boussou (Lola Prefecture).

The OCHA, UNHCR, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP) and the Field Security Officer are closely monitoring the situation.

The 38,000 people who have crossed the border in the Nzerekore region to seek safe haven in Guinea this year include 21,000 Liberians, 11,000 Guineans, 3,000 Ivorians and 2,000 third-country nationals, according to reports received from local authorities through the Inter-Agency Monitoring Mechanism established in December 2002.

For further information, please contact OCHA Guinea:  Sofie Garde Thomle, Information Officer, e-mail: sofie.gardethomle@undp.org, tel: +224 (0) 12 66 37 15

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