ICRC News 19 / 25-May-00

** SHORT MENU....

Lebanon: ICRC steps up activities following Israeli withdrawal:
For the last two days, ICRC teams have been actively responding to the
immediate humanitarian needs of the civilian population resulting from the
rapid withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.

Sierra Leone: ICRC helps displaced amid concerns over child-soldiers:
Working in conjunction with the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, the ICRC
this week distributed non-food relief (blankets, sleeping mats, soap,
canvas sheets and buckets) to 11,640 displaced people (1,354 families) -
most of them women and children - gathered in Lunghi, north of the Freetown
peninsula and near the capital's international airport.

Commonwealth of Independent States: ICRC holds three humanitarian law
competitions:
As part of its programme to promote interest in international humanitarian
law in universities of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the
ICRC organized the fourth DeMartens moot-court competition on humanitarian
law from 13 to 18 April 2000.


** STORIES IN FULL...

Lebanon
ICRC steps up activities following Israeli withdrawal

For the last two days, ICRC teams have been actively responding to the
immediate humanitarian needs of the civilian population resulting from the
rapid withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.

On Tuesday the ICRC, with help from the Lebanese Red Cross Society, made
arrangements for 105 detainees released from Khiam prison to be transported
to Beirut, where they were met by their jubilant families. An ICRC team
visited the prison and confirmed that it was empty. Other ICRC teams have
been touring the main villages in the western and central sectors of the
former occupied zone and in the western Bekaa valley to assess the
population's immediate needs. Dressing material was subsequently delivered
to Tibnine hospital.

The ICRC had already increased its presence in the field and brought in
relief and medical supplies as part of its contingency plan for an Israeli
troop withdrawal. This plan has had to be quickly updated in view of the
swift evolution of events; the current priority is to continue to monitor
the situation closely and be ready to tackle any humanitarian problems that
may arise.

A major concern is the area's health-care system, which may suffer from
lack of support until the Lebanese authorities are able to ensure the
smooth running of hospitals and other facilities.  The ICRC is stocking
additional medical supplies for distribution, so that both sick and wounded
civilians will continue to have access to adequate health care during the
transition period. It will also continue to support the two referral
hospitals in Bent Jbail and Marjayoun.

Ongoing medical programmes will continue in the former occupied zone, such
as the ICRC's mobile clinics and the organization's support for the 19
Lebanese Red Cross dispensaries and their first-aid and ambulance services.

At this stage, the ICRC has five expatriate staff in Lebanon. They are
assisted by 24 local personnel.

Further information: Suzanne Berger, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++41 22 730 2307


Sierra Leone
ICRC helps displaced amid concerns over child-soldiers

Working in conjunction with the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, the ICRC
this week distributed non-food relief (blankets, sleeping mats, soap,
canvas sheets and buckets) to 11,640 displaced people (1,354 families) -
most of them women and children - gathered in Lunghi, north of the Freetown
peninsula and near the capital's international airport.

These people had just arrived - mostly from Port Loko, Masiaka, and Makeni
- after fleeing the fighting which has raged in the country for weeks. Like
displaced people living in a number of other camps in western Sierra Leone,
they were able to benefit from Red Cross Messages, distributed by a network
of national volunteers, to enable people who have been separated by the
fighting from other members of their family to find and get in touch with
their loved ones.

An example is 10-year-old John and three-year-old Mariatu, who became
separated from their family after fleeing their home in Waterloo. They were
taken in by the ICRC and placed in a care centre for children while the
organization worked to trace their parents. This was achieved on 15 May to
the joy of all concerned.

But there are also other children of acute concern to the ICRC: demobilized
child-soldiers and other children threatened with recruitment. Endeavouring
to protect these vulnerable youngsters, the head of the ICRC's Freetown
delegation has been meeting representatives of the various parties
concerned in recent days in order to make them aware of the gravity of this
ongoing problem in Sierra Leone.

Further information: Jette Soerensen, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++41 22 730 2834


Commonwealth of Independent States
ICRC holds three humanitarian law competitions

As part of its programme to promote interest in international humanitarian
law in universities of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the
ICRC organized the fourth DeMartens moot-court competition on humanitarian
law from 13 to 18 April 2000. To involve as many students as possible, this
year's competition took place, for the first time, in three capitals
simultaneously: Kyiv, Moscow and Tashkent. In all, nearly 100 students
representing 31 law faculties from all CIS countries took part.

Using a case study prepared by the ICRC Moscow delegation,  student  teams
strove to top each other's knowledge of humanitarian law in a series of
role-playing exercises relating to an imaginary armed conflict. The three
winning teams came from the International Institute of Linguistics and Law
in Kyiv (Ukraine), Baku State University (Azerbaijan) and the University of
World Economy and Diplomacy of Tashkent (Uzbekistan).

Alongside its work on behalf of conflict victims in this region, the ICRC
has since 1992 launched a series of programmes to raise awareness of
humanitarian law. These are aimed at a variety of target audiences - the
army, National Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies, universities, schools
and the media.

Further information: Suzanne Berger, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++41 22 730 2307


During the weekend of 27 - 28 May 2000, for all information please call the
press officer on duty Corinne Adam, on (mobile) 41 79 202 36 80