ICRC News 21 / 31-May-01


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** SHORT MENU....

Afghanistan: Improving water supply and sanitation conditions in Kabul
On 22 May ICRC water and sanitation teams completed rehabilitation work on
the Chelstoon water pumping station, thus providing some 20,000 local
inhabitants with access to much needed drinking water.

Morocco/Western Sahara: ICRC once again visits Moroccan prisoners of
Polisario Front
Moroccan prisoners held by the Polisario Front were visited by four ICRC
delegates, including a medical doctor, a dentist and an ophthalmologist,
from 11 to 25 May 2001.

PERU: Interministerial commission on humanitarian law
On 23 May the ICRC delegation in Lima held a conference to discuss the
importance of setting up a national mechanism to enforce the rules of
international humanitarian law.


** STORIES IN FULL...

Afghanistan
Improving water supply and sanitation conditions in Kabul

On 22 May ICRC water and sanitation teams completed rehabilitation work on
the Chelstoon water pumping station, thus providing some 20,000 local
inhabitants with access to much needed drinking water.

Chelstoon, a hilly rural area situated in the southernmost district of
Kabul, suffered extensive damage during the periods of heavy fighting that
devastated the city. Its pumping station had been out of operation for
three years. "During this time, people fetched water from wells," said
Gavin Macmillan, ICRC water and sanitation coordinator in Afghanistan.
"However, the water level sank because of the drought and some of the
wells dried up."

This is the sixth pumping station that the ICRC has repaired in Kabul
during the last 12 months. The rehabilitation of three more is under way
and expected to be completed by the end of year.

Since 1996, the ICRC has also been supporting the construction and
rehabilitation of over 42,000 latrines in seven districts of Kabul in
order to improve sanitation and public health. It is striving to make
local communities aware of the importance of proper waste disposal and
encouraging them to build new latrines or rehabilitate existing ones under
its technical supervision.

"By helping people in the city and its surrounding area to gain access to
safe water and basic sanitation facilities, we hope to improve their
extremely difficult living conditions," said Mr Macmillan.

Further information: Mario Musa, ICRC Kabul, tel. ++ 873 761 242 260


Morocco/Western Sahara
ICRC once again visits Moroccan prisoners of Polisario Front

Moroccan prisoners held by the Polisario Front were visited by four ICRC
delegates, including a medical doctor, a dentist and an ophthalmologist,
from 11 to 25 May 2001. The delegates saw 796 of the 1,479 prisoners and
assessed their general living conditions and their health.

During the visits, which took place in six detention centres in the
Tindouf region of Algeria and in areas of the Western Sahara under
Polisario Front control, the delegates gave the prisoners an opportunity
to send Red Cross messages to their families. The delegates also furnished
470 kg of medical supplies for the prisoners.

Ten prisoners were given dentures and six others suffering from trichiasis
or cataracts underwent operations. A total of 120 pairs of prescription
glasses were also given to prisoners.

The ICRC is extremely concerned about the very long period during which
these men have been detained, most for over 20 years. In view of their
age, their state of health and the duration of their captivity, as well as
the provisions of international humanitarian law, the ICRC has long
maintained that the prisoners should be released without delay, and that
the most infirm should be the first to be freed. The organization has
repeatedly stated its readiness to supervise their repatriation. The
prisoners are at present scattered among several detention centres in the
Tindouf area in particular, where Sahrawi refugees have been living in
extremely difficult conditions since the conflict began in 1975. The ICRC,
which has visited the prisoners regularly over the years, urges that
solutions be found to all the problems of humanitarian concern arising
from the Western Sahara conflict.

Alongside their visits to prisoners, the ICRC representatives had
discussions with officials of the Polisario Front and members of civil
society to gather information on 178 Sahrawi combatants reported missing
during the conflict. The delegates also called on the family of a Sahrawi
prisoner visited in Morocco on 26 March 2001.

Further information: Vincent Lusser, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++41 22 730 24 58


PERU
Interministerial commission on humanitarian law

On 23 May the ICRC delegation in Lima held a conference to discuss the
importance of setting up a national mechanism to enforce the rules of
international humanitarian law. The conference was attended by government
representatives and members of the armed forces, the police and civil
society.

The 70 participants included a member of the ICRC Advisory Service, a
professor of humanitarian law and a representative of the Ministry of
Justice. The latter concluded his presentation by announcing that the
Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs had decided to set up a national
commission for the study and application of international humanitarian
law.

"The establishment of such a commission, which will work on the adoption
of national implementation measures, further demonstrates the government's
willingness to comply with its obligations under humanitarian law", said
Graziella Leite Piccolo, ICRC communication coordinator in Lima.

The ICRC will have observer status in the Commission, which is expected to
become operational in the near future, and provide it with legal and
technical assistance.

Further information: Graziella Leite Piccolo, ICRC Lima, tel. ++511 4602719


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