ICRC News 15 / 19-Apr-01


** SHORT MENU....
Democratic Republic of the Congo
ICRC delivers food to encircled town in Katanga 

On 19 April, in close cooperation with the local chapter of the Red Cross
Society of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the ICRC began providing
food for the population of Nyunzu, a town of 13,500 inhabitants in
northern Katanga province (south-eastern Congo).

Afghanistan
War and drought

While the north-west suffers from the fighting between the Taliban and the
Northern Alliance, the centre and west of Afghanistan are enduring drought
on an unprecedented scale. Both are claiming their share of civilian
victims.

Republic of Guinea
War-surgery training 

Working in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and the army's medical
services, the ICRC has organized two seminars on war surgery for 70Guinean
surgeons, both civilians and military personnel, to prepare them to care
for war-wounded patients.

Yugoslavia / Kosovo
Second edition of the "Book of Missing Persons in Kosovo"

Almost two years after the end of the conflict in Kosovo, thousands of
people are unable to find peace of mind because the fate of their relatives
remains unknown.
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** STORIES IN FULL...


Democratic Republic of the Congo
ICRC delivers food to encircled town in Katanga 

On 19 April, in close cooperation with the local chapter of the Red Cross
Society of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the ICRC began providing
food for the population of Nyunzu, a town of 13,500 inhabitants in northern
Katanga province (south-eastern Congo). The area is controlled by the rebel
Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD/Goma). 

Nyunzu has been practically cut off from the world since repeated attacks
were carried out by unidentified militia in the surrounding area last year.
The poor security situation has prevented the inhabitants from cultivating
their fields and put an end to regular trade with neighbouring towns. As a
result, many people are suffering from malnutrition. Nuova Frontiera, an
Italian NGO, opened some nutritional centres in Nyunzu last January, but
despite this much-needed help the situation remains serious. 

After carrying out a survey of the entire population in March, the ICRC and
the local Red Cross got ready to distribute food (maize, beans, salt and
oil), vegetable seed kits and household equipment (hoes, soap and cloth) to
the town's isolated inhabitants. 

The operation is a logistical challenge since Nyunzu can only be reached by
plane and the airstrip is a small, sandy road. The airlift that has now
begun is being carried out from Goma to Nyunzu by an ICRC-chartered
Hercules that will make two deliveries a day (18 tonnes per delivery) for
five days. A similar operation will be conducted in May to provide food for
yet another month.

It is hoped that by the end of May it will be possible to harvest crops in
the fields that are still accessible to the town's inhabitants. The ICRC
will then reassess the situation to establish whether any further
assistance is needed to tide the population over until the next harvest.
Meanwhile, plans have already been made to distribute seed (maize and
beans) for the next planting season in September 2001 so as to speed up the
recovery process.

Further information: Antonella Notari, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++41 22 730 22 82



Afghanistan
War and drought

While the north-west suffers from the fighting between the Taliban and the
Northern Alliance, the centre and west of Afghanistan are enduring drought
on an unprecedented scale. Both are claiming their share of civilian
victims.

After a week spent crossing desert and dried-up landscapes on foot, just
under a quarter of the 300,000 inhabitants of Ghor province have found
temporary shelter in camps for displaced persons around Herat. The ICRC and
other humanitarian organizations are distributing tents, food and basic
necessities. It has not rained here for three years and as the situation
deteriorates, dozens of families arrive daily to swell the population of
Maslakh camp. A collection of 80,000 displaced persons, exposed to
sandstorms and the vagaries of nature.

"Several times, I've asked the international organizations to help people
where they live, to give them seed and food, so they won't move to the
towns. This would avoid the pressure we're under right now." explains Said
Haz Mohammed Aga, who represents the ministry dealing with displaced
persons in Herat. This is precisely what the ICRC is doing in areas hit by
famine, mainly using emergency logistics centres in Chakcharan and Lal.

Between mid-March and the end of April, the ICRC will have supplied some
60,000 people with food (flour, vegetable oil, chickpeas) and seeds (to
grow vegetables and wheat), for which some people are prepared to spend
hours trudging down from the snow-covered mountains to the distribution
points.

Video material broadcast via the EBU on 18 April at 1200 hrs.
Photos available from AFP (photo.france@afp.com) and Reuters
(zurpix@bluewin.ch).

Further information: Roland Sidler, ICRC Geneva, Tel.: ++ 41 22 730 20 45
Mario Musa, ICRC Kabul, Tel.: ++ 873 761 242 260


Republic of Guinea
War-surgery training 

Working in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and the army's medical
services, the ICRC has organized two seminars on war surgery for 70Guinean
surgeons, both civilians and military personnel, to prepare them to care
for war-wounded patients.

The first of the seminars was held on 11 and 12 April at Ignace Deen
National Hospital in Conakry. The second took place on 14 and 15 April in
Nzerekore, in south-eastern Guinea, on the premises of the regional
health-care authority. The seminars dealt with ballistics, treatment of the
most frequently encountered wounds and their possible after-effects.

The event received coverage on Guinean national television and radio.

Further information: Antonella Notari, ICRC Geneva, tel.  ++41 22 730 22 82


Yugoslavia / Kosovo
Second edition of the "Book of Missing Persons in Kosovo"

Almost two years after the end of the conflict in Kosovo, thousands of
people are unable to find peace of mind because the fate of their relatives
remains unknown.

Last week the ICRC, which has been striving to help families uncover the
truth, put out a second edition of the "Book of Missing Persons in Kosovo",
in Pristina and Belgrade, as part of its ongoing efforts to find out what
happened to those who remain unaccounted for in connection with the
conflict.

This 200-page document contains an updated list of 3,525 names of people
from all ethnic backgrounds who were reported missing by their families
between January 1998 and the end of March 2001.

The book, first published in May 2000, has been widely distributed to the
authorities, political leaders, family associations and organizations
involved in the search. It has also been made available to the general
public in Kosovo, elsewhere in Yugoslavia and around the world by National
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and can be consulted on the ICRC
Website http://www.familylinks.icrc.org .

The book is a valuable tool which the ICRC uses in its endeavour to
elucidate the fate of missing persons. This involves active dialogue with
the authorities concerned and extensive field work, including visits to
places of detention and assistance in the exhumation and identification
process.

It is intended to encourage the authorities and anyone else who might have
useful information to come forward as quickly as possible for the sake of
those whose relatives are missing. 

The right of families to know the fate of their loved ones is a basic
principle of international humanitarian law.

Further information: Caroline Douillez, ICRC Pristina, tel. ++381 38 501
517


During the weekend of 21-22 April 2001, for all information please call
the press officer on duty Amanda Williamson, on (mobile) 41 79 217 32 16