ICRC News 41 / 26-Oct-00

** SHORT MENU....

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia: Head of ICRC delegation meets President
Kostunica
The continuing hardship facing the people of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (FRY) and the urgency of addressing the issue of missing persons
were among the key matters discussed  when the ICRC's head of delegation in
the FRY, Peter G. Stocker, was received last week by President Vojislav
Kostunica.

Angola: ICRC steps up water and sanitation programme on Planalto
Thousands of families fleeing the fighting between government forces and
UNITA have taken refuge in camps on the Angolan Planalto, giving rise to
major health and hygiene problems.

Sudan: Rehabilitation work continues in Yirol
Two years ago, the population of many parts of southern Sudan was ravaged
by famine, and humanitarian organizations were struggling to curb high
mortality rates among the hundreds of thousands of displaced people living
there.

Southern Africa: ICRC restores contact between child refugees and their
families
"In 1996, I was playing with friends by the river. We saw people coming
towards us and they chased us. I was caught, slapped and taken to a car.
They told me that from that day onwards I was a member of their family."


** STORIES IN FULL...

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Head of ICRC delegation meets President Kostunica

The continuing hardship facing the people of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (FRY) and the urgency of addressing the issue of missing persons
were among the key matters discussed  when the ICRC's head of delegation in
the FRY, Peter G. Stocker, was received last week by President Vojislav
Kostunica.

After briefing President Kostunica on the activities of the International
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in the country in recent years, Peter
Stocker took the opportunity to assure him of the Movement's ongoing
commitment to responding to the needs of the country's inhabitants, who
have been severely affected by shortages, economic collapse and the
consequences of conflict. This situation will doubtless prevail, at least
in the short term, despite the new political climate.

Mr Stocker also stressed the crucial importance of providing families with
information about the fate of missing relatives so as to end the anguish of
uncertainty, and reaffirmed the ICRC's resolve to continue to work towards
this humanitarian goal. Another topic covered was the ICRC's activities for
people still held in detention.

In response, President Kostunica expressed his full support for the work of
the Red Cross in the FRY and stated that the new authorities are seeking
ways of dealing with outstanding humanitarian concerns.

In spite of the rapidly changing political situation in the FRY, the ICRC
has continued its detention work. Since October 6, over 230 detainees have
been visited in five places of detention in Serbia proper, while 20 have
been released and transported to Kosovo by the ICRC. Family visits of
relatives from Kosovo to Serbia proper and vice versa have also been
organized. Around 850 detainees are currently being visited by the ICRC.
 
Further information: Gordana Milenkovic, ICRC Belgrade, tel. ++ 381 11 450
590
Amanda Williamson, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++4122 730 2678 or ++4179 217 3216


Angola
ICRC steps up water and sanitation programme on Planalto

Thousands of families fleeing the fighting between government forces and
UNITA have taken refuge in camps on the Angolan Planalto, giving rise to
major health and hygiene problems. The ICRC has responded by stepping up
its water and sanitation programme in the camps; 600 new latrines have been
built in a single month.

With the approach of the main rainy season, the ICRC has started digging
drainage ditches all round the camps to prevent a build-up of stagnant
water in which the malaria-carrying mosquito could breed.

The displaced people include elderly persons, amputees and women on their
own, all of whom have major difficulties in erecting shelters. The ICRC is
providing materials and teams of builders to help them.

Together with the Angola Red Cross, the ICRC is briefing hundreds of
families a day on the basic rules of hygiene.

The ICRC is also assisting the local population; new wells are being sunk
in the outlying districts of Kuito and others are due for renovation
shortly. To improve hygiene conditions in schools, a latrine-building
programme has been launched.

In total the ICRC is meeting the water and sanitation needs of some 22,750
families, or 102,375 people, in the area between Huambo and Kuito.

Further information: Gianni Volpin, ICRC Luanda, tel. ++2442 36 44 54


Sudan
Rehabilitation work continues in Yirol

Two years ago, the population of many parts of southern Sudan was ravaged
by famine, and humanitarian organizations were struggling to curb high
mortality rates among the hundreds of thousands of displaced people living
there. Though the situation has now improved, conditions remain difficult
and aid work is continuing, with the ICRC concentrating on increasing water
supplies and running disease-prevention programmes.

In Yirol, in Western Equatoria state, and in much of the surrounding area
ICRC delegates have sunk or repaired some 40 wells to improve people's
access to water. Vaccination campaigns, against tetanus and yellow fever in
particular, are conducted day-in, day-out and have now reached most
villages in the area. Announcements are made over loudspeakers several
hours ahead of time in order to gather the villagers together.

Pregnant women receive special care to ensure that they give birth in the
best possible hygiene conditions and to reduce the neonatal mortality rate.
A clinic with a dozen beds has been built at the site of Yirol's original
hospital, which was partially destroyed in a bombing raid. Wounded and sick
people judged too seriously ill to be treated in Yirol are flown out to the
ICRC hospital in Lokichokio, Kenya.

Hygiene is an especially important factor and awareness-raising courses are
organized for the local population. These sessions, which always attract
large numbers of people, are held in both the area controlled by the
Sudanese People's Liberation Movement/Army and the zone under government
control.

Further information: Roland Sidler, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++4122 730 2045


Southern Africa
ICRC restores contact between child refugees and their families

"In 1996, I was playing with friends by the river. We saw people coming
towards us and they chased us. I was caught, slapped and taken to a car.
They told me that from that day onwards I was a member of their family."
This is the story told by 12-year-old Ngaba Nagwali (fictitious name), who
was abducted from her home village during the war in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo when she was eight years old. When the ICRC found
her, alone among thousands of refugees, she had been living in a camp in
Botswana for the previous four years with no news of her family.

Stories such as Ngaba's are only too common. The loss or break-up of
families is one of the most tragic consequences of war, and in these
circumstances the ICRC does its utmost to trace missing relatives and
reunite families. 

Ngaba is one of the lucky children whose story will have a happy ending.
She was registered by the ICRC in Dukwe refugee camp in Botswana, and the
information she supplied was used to locate her mother in the DRC. Mother
and daughter have now asked to be reunited.

In Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi and Mwange refugee camp in Zambia,
another 16 unaccompanied children who were registered by the ICRC in 1999
and 2000 have had their families located in Tanzania and the DRC. The
families have contacted their children by means of Red Cross messages and
have also asked to be reunited with the help of the ICRC.

Further information: Carlo von Flue, ICRC Harare, tel. ++2634 79 02 68


During the weekend of 28 - 29 October 2000, for all information please call
the press officer on duty Suzanne Berger, on (mobile) 41 79 217 32 37