Alarming situation in the Parrot’s Beak

The fragile security situation along Guinea’s southwestern border has prevented aid agencies from re-establishing relief operations in the Parrot’s Beak region, UNHCR reported on Friday.

In this area, which juts into Sierra Leone, about 180,000 refugees live in scores of camps alongside some 70,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Relief workers believe they face an alarming nutritional situation: some rice stocks were harvested locally and fruits are available, but the people in the zone have not received any outside food aid since early November, UNHCR said. However, Guinea’s health department has been distributing medical aid recently provided by UNHCR and other partner agencies throughout the Guekedou area, including in the Parrot’s Beak zone, the agency said.

Meanwhile, UNHCR has expressed concern that militia groups allied with the Conakry government are apparently taking on some day-to-day security roles previously tackled by the regular armed forces. These militia are active in the refugee-hosting regions, which could make the refugee camps targets should rebels again make forays deep into Guinea, the agency warned. Banditry is also on the rise, it said, noting that two NGOs had their vehicles confiscated by the militia in separate incidents this week. One vehicle was returned after being vandalized, but the other was seen being re-painted while its roof was being cut off for use as a paramilitary vehicle.