ICRC News 42 / 22.10.97
** SHORT MENU....
NORTHERN IRAQ: AID DISTRIBUTIONS CONTINUE AS CEASE-FIRE HOLDS: With the resumption of fighting on 13 October between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), over four hundred Kurdish families fled their homes in northern Iraq.
AZERBAIJAN: PERMANENT DANGER: In parallel with the worldwide campaign to ban anti-personnel landmines, at the beginning of this year the ICRC delegation in Azerbaijan launched a campaign designed to prevent mine accidents by explaining to people living near the Nagorny Karabakh front line how to avoid injury from these deadly weapons.
BHUTAN: VISITS TO SECURITY DETAINEES: Between 9 and 16 October the ICRC carried out a series of visits to security detainees in Bhutan. The persons concerned, who have been convicted of "anti-national activities", are held in the central prison in Chamgang and in the Thimphu detention centre.
SOMALIA: PROMOTING BLOOD DONATION: The chronic shortage of blood for surgical patients at Keysaney hospital in Mogadishu North has prompted the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) and the ICRC to take urgent steps to convince the city's inhabitants of the need to give blood.
** STORIES IN FULL...
NORTHERN IRAQ AID DISTRIBUTIONS CONTINUE AS CEASE-FIRE HOLDS
With the resumption of fighting on 13 October between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), over four hundred Kurdish families fled their homes in northern Iraq. The ICRC has stepped up its aid to these internally displaced persons, whose plight is aggravated by harsh weather conditions as winter sets in. The scale of the clashes between the rival Iraqi Kurdish factions also prompted the ICRC to increase its assistance to seven medical facilities in the area. Mobile dispensaries along the front line received first-aid material, while hospitals treating more serious casualties were supplied with surgical equipment and medicines.
The deadline set by the KDP for the withdrawal of the PUK forces has now passed, but the precarious cease-fire is still holding. This enables the ICRC to continue its distributions of humanitarian assistance and its visits to over 320 prisoners captured since 13 October.
Further information: Doris Pfister, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++4122 730 2317
AZERBAIJAN PERMANENT DANGER
In parallel with the worldwide campaign to ban anti-personnel landmines, at the beginning of this year the ICRC delegation in Azerbaijan launched a campaign designed to prevent mine accidents by explaining to people living near the Nagorny Karabakh front line how to avoid injury from these deadly weapons. An initial assessment shows that the project, which is financed by the Swedish Red Cross, has had encouraging results, and there are plans to extend it to other parts of the southern Caucasus.
The programme is aimed primarily at children and farmers, the two groups most exposed to the danger of landmines. So far over 120,000 families in Azerbaijan have been reached during relief distributions by means of leaflets placed in seed packets, printed messages on school exercise books, etc. The local media have also made an active contribution to the campaign.
The limb-fitting centre run with ICRC support in Baku is a source of valuable information for the project. A story book and an animated cartoon are being produced for children, and effective means of reaching farmers are under study. The ICRC delegation is also setting up a network of partners within the Red Crescent Society of Azerbaijan and other organizations in the country and training them to raise awareness of the problem on a wider scale.
Further information: Suzanne Berger, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++4122 730 2307
BHUTAN VISITS TO SECURITY DETAINEES
Between 9 and 16 October the ICRC carried out a series of visits to security detainees in Bhutan. The persons concerned, who have been convicted of "anti-national activities", are held in the central prison in Chamgang and in the Thimphu detention centre. The series of visits, the tenth since 1993, took place under a memorandum of understanding signed in that year by the Bhutanese authorities and was conducted in accordance with the ICRC's standard visiting procedures.
The ICRC's visits to persons deprived of their freedom are carried out on condition that its delegates have access to all detainees within its terms of reference, are able to speak to them in private, and are allowed to repeat the visits and follow up each detainee in the long term.
Further information: Joerg Stoecklin, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++4122 730 2906
SOMALIA PROMOTING BLOOD DONATION
The chronic shortage of blood for surgical patients at Keysaney hospital in Mogadishu North has prompted the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) and the ICRC to take urgent steps to convince the city's inhabitants of the need to give blood. Community leaders were consulted about attitudes and practices relating to blood donation in the local culture so that an appropriate message could be formulated for a reticent population.
In September two "blood transfusion awareness" workshops were held by the ICRC in cooperation with the SRCS at Keysaney hospital. Among the participants were community elders and representatives of international organizations and the media. The Chairman of the Islamic Court gave an address on blood donation as perceived in Islamic law. "Whoever saves a human life shall be regarded as though he has saved all mankind", was one of many verses from the Koran he quoted to show that there were no religious reasons for not giving one's blood.
The success of the workshops, which ended with a spontaneous and voluntary blood donation session, proved that the collection of blood in Mogadishu is not impossible. It is hoped that a sustained promotion effort will keep the stock of blood units from falling once again to a dangerously low level.
Further information: Josue Anselmo, ICRC Nairobi, tel. ++2542 716 339
During the weekend of 25 - 26 October 1997, for all information please call the press officer on duty: Ruben Ortega, on (mobile) 41 79 217 3203