ICRC News 12 / 29-Mar-01


** SHORT MENU....

Yugoslavia: Red Cross assists refugees from former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia
Since violence flared up in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia some
weeks ago, over 7,500 refugees have fled into neighbouring Kosovo.

Republic of Guinea: Clean-up begins in devastated town
ICRC staff joined volunteers of the Red Cross Society of Guinea on 24
March to begin clean-up and sanitation work in Guéckédou, in south-eastern
Guinea.

Afghanistan: ICRC distributes seed and food in central Afghanistan Last
week the ICRC began distributing assistance to the needy farmers in Ghor
province.

** STORIES IN FULL...

Yugoslavia
Red Cross assists refugees from
former Yugoslav Republic of  Macedonia

Since violence flared up in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia some
weeks ago, over 7,500 refugees have fled into neighbouring Kosovo. After
the first few days of fighting, an initial wave of 1,150 people crossed
into Giljan/Gnjilane from the Crna Gora region. Another 1,500 have
travelled from Tetovo, mostly by car and public transportation, through
Albania to Prizren and other destinations in Kosovo. Since 14 March, over
4,800 people, the largest group so far, have left their villages above
Tetovo and crossed the snow-covered mountains on foot. The ICRC, together
with local Red Cross branches and the Belgian Red Cross, is providing them
with food and medical assistance, helping them to find shelter and putting
them back in touch with their families.

One exhausted man met by an ICRC delegate in Dragash had walked across the
mountains for 14 hours carrying two small children, one on his back and
the other in his arms. The family had decided to leave their home in Selce
after spending four days in the cellar while grenades exploded around
them.
 

Once in Kosovo, the refugees are directed toward Zhupa valley or Dragash,
where they are greeted by humanitarian workers. The ICRC is coordinating
its efforts with the local Red Cross, municipal services, the Mother
Teresa Society, Catholic Relief Services and other organizations. In
Dragash, where some families have been temporarily housed in the school
building, the Belgian Red Cross is providing them with food and the local
Red Cross is helping them to find host families. Wherever necessary, ICRC
teams also inform the refugees about the risk of mines and unexploded
ordnance.

It is impressive to see people from all the villages around Dragash
volunteer to take refugees into their homes, even though many are not
well-off themselves.  As one of them put it, "We know what it means to be
a refugee. Two years ago they helped us when we fled from Kosovo, now it's
our turn to help them."

Further information: Vincent Lusser, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++4122 730 24 58


Republic of Guinea
Clean-up begins in devastated town

ICRC staff joined volunteers of the Red Cross Society of Guinea on 24March
to begin clean-up and sanitation work in Guéckédou, in south-eastern
Guinea. A main trading hub in that part of the country, the town has been
the target of several large-scale attacks in the past three months and is
at present practically empty, its population having fled northwards.

The joint ICRC / National Society team from Kissidougou, 80 km away,
worked to clean the town's hospital, which had been completely ransacked,
and a number of places along the river Makona. In the course of their
work, they identified other places requiring action. These will be
sanitized as the work progresses. The operation was made necessary by the
pollution risk arising from the bodies of combatants and civilians thrown
into the river during the various attacks on the town.

The ICRC has some 20expatriate staff in Guinea, most of them based in
Conakry, where the organization's delegation is located. There are also
sub-delegations in Kissidougou, Nzérékoré and Kankan.

Further information : Juan Martinez, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++4122 730 22 81


Afghanistan
ICRC distributes seed and food in central Afghanistan

Last week the ICRC began distributing assistance to the needy farmers in
Ghor province. Besides wheat, chickpea and vegetable seed, the farmers are
being given half rations of food to replenish their depleted stocks and
deter them from eating the seed. A total of 10,000 families (60,000 people)
will benefit from the aid.

As explained by Séamus Dunne, ICRC economic security programme manager in
Kabul, "Many people in the area have survived the harsh winter thanks to
the food parcels they received from us last year, but others were forced to
sell 70 to 90 per cent of their livestock to get by. As a result, coping
mechanisms have been further eroded. If the coming harvest is poor, the
situation will become very critical and people will have to flee to other
areas in search of assistance or face starvation."

Meanwhile, a joint ICRC / International Federation team comprising
nutritionists and health and economic security delegates is further
assessing the level of vulnerability and specific needs of the population
of this province, which, owing to sporadic fighting and the ongoing
drought, is considered to be especially at risk.

Most of the internally displaced people in Herat province arrived from
Ghor province during the last couple of years.

"We are seeking to improve warning systems in this area so that the
delegation can be immediately informed of any rapid-onset crises and take
quick steps to prevent conditions from further deteriorating," said Mr
Dunne.

Further information: Mario Musa, ICRC Kabul, tel. ++ 873 761 242 260
Françoise Derron, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++ 41 22 730 21 01


During the weekend of 31 March - 1 April 2001, for all information please
call the press officer on duty Darcy Christen, on (mobile) 41 79 217 32 31