Shelter/WatSan Cluster Meeting Minutes (10 December 2009)

Actions Summary:
1. AA to contact PC to ask them to attend the shelter cluster regularly.
2. LM to follow up with LAF for UNRWA staff permissions for A’ area.
3. KN to disseminate the revised and update action plan via email.

Agenda Item Details Action By:
Action Points

The PC officials were invited, but did not attend. They will be notified again of the time and location of the next meeting.

LPDC were not able to attend the meeting due to a seminar in Beirut. Permissions have not been obtained, so the action will be carried on to next meeting’s agenda.

NA briefed participants on UNRWA’s work in the adjacent areas as follows:
Regarding sector A', they are cleaning roads but the work excludes the unsafe buildings in this sector, usually done after the people return and this intervention needs funding.
UNRWA is continuing the asphalting work phase 2, the work in the adjacent areas was completed where the final figure is 24,000 m2 of main and secondary works.
The project of provision of solar panels in plot 385 is on-going to supply hot water for the beneficiaries, and in the meantime UNRWA issued tenders to install solar panels for the other temporary accommodation in plots 23, 674, and 755.
• WatSan activities in B’, C’, and part of E’, were completed which included main, and secondary networks for the water supply, sewers, and drainage systems with roads cross gratings, but the remaining gaps in A’, and the closed part of E’, have no funding.
UNRWA is undertaking a maintenance contract for plot 23, to treat the roofs leakages and drainage issues.
• UNRWA continues its routine maintenance works of solid waste collection; pumping water, maintenance of the temporary accommodation, etc…

MAA provided updates on the Reconstruction activities as follows:
The first 10cm layer of blinding concrete for Package 1 was poured at 10AM on 25th November. 150 invitees from NBC were present.
On 15 December, works on the first raft foundations are scheduled to begin, followed by columns and slabs. The Popular Committee, factions and others will be invited to this occasion. MAA also briefed participants about the technical aspects of the work.
UNRWA will tender for Package 2 by the end of the year, and for schools 4 & 5 this week.

MAA has been in contact with the LAF regarding opening A’ and the remaining parts of E’. During the rubble removal and cleaning operations, LAF intervened due to the discovery of dead bodies along with large quantities of gold.

Security of returning families is the reason given for not opening the remaining parts of E’. The reason for not opening A’ to returning families remains unclear.
MAA added that in 2010, the lease of the Collective Centers will expire. Except for one CC, they will not be renewed.

VG updated the cluster on NRC activities as follows:
For Stabilization works, 51 buildings from 58 is finished
On Water Proofing 112 roofs were finished and still have 7 buildings ongoing, the total will be 119.
Regarding Mohajareen Project, demining was finished from two weeks and after there will be a Geographic survey.

CP updated participants on CDR activities as follows: on 4 November 2009 the request for Expressions of Interest was sent to 17 Italian NGOs. The NGOs or joint ventures have until the end of next week to submit an interest letter, after which CFD will shortlist.

Tender documents are scheduled to be disseminated to shortlisted NGOs before the end of the year. Deadline for submission is approximately the end of January, followed by 2 weeks of evaluation and negotiations with bids that pass the technical and administrative requirements. The Italians have asked for a negotiated procedure. Two more weeks to allocate the works meaning that signing contracts should be possible in early March, followed by start of construction (which could still depend on weather conditions).

Cristophe Petit (CP whose contacts, along with the above information, will be disseminated with the latest shelter cluster minutes of meeting) is available all of next week and the weeks ahead for questions.
MAA and other participants highlighted the importance of engaging the beneficiaries and informing them on progress in this project. CP promised to raise the issue with CFD.

Once it is decided when a town hall meeting will be held to inform the community, a small working group (UNRWA, NBRC, CFD and LPDC) will have a preparatory session.

The next Shelter/WatSan meeting will be held in 14th January 2010 at the NMU in Tripoli