Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alert - Eritrea 1/2000 Millions face further displacement and famine Geneva, 19 May 2000
The fierce war in the Horn of Africa, now in its eighth day of resumed fighting, has brought the threat of starvation to around15,000 children in Eritrea according to reports by Save the Children. Since 13 May, due to the new offensive of the Ethiopian Army, the internally displaced, the expellees and those hosting them in the southwestern part of Eritrea, have hurriedly been evacuated from their residential areas. Fleeing in panic most of the people left without taking anything except a few personal belongings, which they could carry. This has created a new tragic situation for more than 200,000 new internally displaced persons, the uprooted and innocent civilians who have left their place of abode and are now scattered throughout the hot and arid areas without water, food, shelter and other basic necessities for life. This is the plight of an already uprooted population, the innocent victims of full-scale armed conflict between two impoverished states and their survival is at stake unless they get quick and effective assistance. Exacerbating the situation, is the World Food Program's (WFP) temporary suspension of food distribution in Ethiopia's western border area, which could affect tens of thousands of displaced persons. In addition, an indirect consequence of the war is an imminent famine in Eritrea, where drought conditions are compounded by the appropriation of meager internal resources toward the war effort, thereby resulting in hunger and starvation for over 1 million Eritreans. ACT members in Eritrea, Lutheran World Federation/Department of World Service (LWF/WS) and Norwegian Church Aid have alerted this office about the current crisis and the need for urgent humanitarian response. LWF/WS Eritrea Program reports that their water supply project sites are now in the hands of the Ethiopian army and the contractors and their employees, the supervisors of the consultant firm and technical assistants have all been evacuated. LWF is working on assigning some of their trucks and pick-ups to help the displaced in their desperate need for transport. At a meeting with the Eritrea Relief and Refugee Commission (ERREC) the Commissioner requested LWF/WS and its partners to provide emergency assistance. The Commissioner also requested LWF/WS to use its influence for the cessation of current hostilities and search for peaceful solution. Among the items most urgently needed are: Water - collapsible water tanks, water containers and related items that can facilitate availability and distribution of water. Food - staple and supplementary food items like wheat, pulses, edible oil, milk powder, sugar and etc. Shelter Materials - including tents plus blankets, quilts and clothes. Medicines and medical items. Transport facilities - including water tanker trucks, tippers and trucks, buses, pick-ups and other means of transport to assist the internally displaced for their personal and supply transport Other related items that will serve in such emergencies. Norwegian Church Aid also reports that following the Ethiopian occupation of Barentu Town, the need for shelter components has increased dramatically. Yesterday ERREC and the UN agencies had a joint meeting with all international agencies and donors, in order to map the needs and strategies. The urgently needed items mentioned included - biscuits, milk, sugar, tents or plastic sheets, blankets, kitchen utensils and water supply materials. We take this opportunity to remind our members that the ACT-NCA Appeal AFER91 is open until end August 2000 and covers many of the desperately needed commodities mentioned above. Funding for this appeal is at present only at US$ 456,141 (13%) out of a target of US$ 3,465,437. We urgently request our donors to consider further funding for this appeal. LWF/WS is at present putting together a proposal to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable persons affected by the twin disaster of renewed conflict and famine and an ACT appeal will be forthcoming. We have just been informed that NCA Norway is working on a plan to send a planeload (38 MT) of BP5 and another planeload of plastic sheeting for Eritrea in the very near future. Thank you for your attention and support. For further information please contact: ACT Co-ordinator, Thor-Arne Prois (phone ++41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone ++ 41 79 203 6055) or ACT Appeals Officer, Neville Pradhan (phone +41 22 791 6035 or mobile phone ++ 41 79 285 2916) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide network of churches and their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency response. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ecumenical Centre Phone: ++41-22-791.60.33 150, route de Ferney Fax: ++41-22-791.65.06 1211 Geneva 2 Telex: 415 730 OIK CH Switzerland http://www.act-intl.org distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -