Sierra Leone Conflict Victims Receive Compensation

GENEVA, Switzerland, October 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Sierra Leone's National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) has begun the distribution of rehabilitation grants to 1,138 forced amputees and 162 of the country's most vulnerable, severely wounded conflict victims.

The purpose of the rehabilitation grants is to fill critical social protection gaps and enable the rehabilitation of 1,300 extremely vulnerable conflict victims. The beneficiaries will use the grants to find and ensure viable and sustainable livelihood solutions for themselves and their families.

The distribution of the funds, which will be gradual and spread over several months, was preceded by series of basic financial management and vocational workshops facilitated by NaCSA and delivered by professional training organizations across Sierra Leone.

The aim of the workshops was to sensitize and train the beneficiaries and their families on the most prudent, efficient and sustainable way to use their rehabilitation grants.

Most of the beneficiaries will use the money to start new or enhance their existing livelihood activities, including crafts, manufacturing, agriculture or services. Some of the beneficiaries will use the rehabilitation grants to support their own education and training, which will enable them to get better jobs in the future.

IOM supports NaCSA and the Sierra Leone Reparations Programme through provision of technical support, expert advice and programmatic and fiduciary oversight.

The current activities are supported by the Sierra Leone UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF), as part of the Social Protection, Child Protection, Gender Equality and Human Rights Cluster.

This latest funding window follows previous support from the UN Peace Building Fund (PBF) and underlines the UN's commitment to support the most vulnerable conflict victims and enhance the peace consolidation process at a time when Sierra Leone still lacks adequate financial resources.