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COLOMBIA: HEAVY FIGHTING ALONG THE CAGUAN: Since 1 March violent clashes have pitted Brigade No. 3 of the Colombian army against the Southern Bloc of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) between Cartagena del Chaira and Remolinos del Caguan, along the river of the same name (in the southern department of Caqueta).
AFGHANISTAN: EARTHQUAKE: The Hercules C-130 chartered by the ICRC to drop relief supplies over Rostaq, a town near the epicentre of the earthquake that hit northern Afghanistan last month, returned to Europe on 8 March, its mission accomplished.
KOSOVO (FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA): THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS In the last few days, ICRC delegates have been attempting to assess the humanitarian needs of the civilian population in the region affected by last week's violence.
SOMALIA: OVER 9,000 CASES OF CHOLERA RECORDED IN THREE MONTHS: Since December 1997 over 9,000 people have been treated for cholera in Somalia. About 1,000 patients were treated during the same month at the "SOS Children" hospital in Mogadishu, and the capital's other medical facilities have handled 7,460 cases since the end of last year. Elsewhere in the country -- in Balad, Afgoi, Awdegle, Hawadle, Jamame and Boo -- a further 696 cases were recorded.
UKRAINE: ASSISTANCE IN CRIMEA: In view of the ever-increasing humanitarian needs in Crimea, the ICRC has decided to provide support for the local committee of the Ukrainian Red Cross.
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COLOMBIA HEAVY FIGHTING ALONG THE CAGUAN
Since 1 March violent clashes have pitted Brigade No. 3 of the Colombian army against the Southern Bloc of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) between Cartagena del Chaira and Remolinos del Caguan, along the river of the same name (in the southern department of Caqueta).
The FARC reported that the fighting had left 83 people dead and 32 wounded, and asked the ICRC for assistance. Delegates evacuated the bodies from the combat zone, and are searching the area on foot for other casualties. A total of 43 soldiers were captured by the FARC. Since it received a list of only 27 names, the ICRC is continuing its efforts around Cartagena del Chaira to obtain the names of the remaining 16 prisoners.
More than 200 people displaced by the recent fighting received assistance from ICRC delegates and Colombian Red Cross workers.
AFGHANISTAN EARTHQUAKE: ROSTAQ AIRDROPS: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
The Hercules C-130 chartered by the ICRC to drop relief supplies over Rostaq, a town near the epicentre of the earthquake that hit northern Afghanistan last month, returned to Europe on 8 March, its mission accomplished.
A flight planned for 7 March had to be cancelled because of poor weather conditions. This means that between 19 February and 1 March, the date of the last airdrop, the plane had made 15 round trips from Peshawar, Pakistan, bringing about 200 tonnes of supplies (some 15,000 blankets and 475 tents) to supplement the assistance transported to the quake-affected area by numerous road convoys.
The Hercules had also made four flights to Mazar-i-Sharif carrying supplies needed to replenish stocks in ICRC warehouses there and in the nearby town of Pul-i-Khumri.
Despite the problems encountered on account of the bad weather, the airdrops of supplies over northern Afghanistan were crucial to the survival of the quake victims. The ICRC had carried out only two similar operations in the past, in Ethiopia and in Sudan.
According to the local authorities, the tremor which shook Takhar province on 4 February claimed 4,500 lives and left thousands of villagers without shelter. The ICRC - with the support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Afghan Red Crescent Society and many other humanitarian organizations - coordinated relief operations, made especially difficult by snowfalls, mudslides and the extreme cold.
KOSOVO (FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA) THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
In the last few days, ICRC delegates have been attempting to assess the humanitarian needs of the civilian population in the region affected by last week's violence. This task has been made all the more urgent by the bitterly cold weather which is adding to the hardships faced by the people living in the triangle formed by the towns of Srbica-Skanderai, Glogovac and Klina. Given the deserted appearance of the places visited by the delegates, it seems that some people, probably including a number of wounded, have taken refuge in the surrounding woods and hills. The ICRC would like to bring them warm clothing, food and blankets as quickly as possible.
At present the ICRC's evaluation of needs in the region is only partial: its delegates have not been authorized to visit all the places affected, in particular Prekaz, Laushe and Klina. On 9 March, however, the ICRC was able to deliver dressings, medicines, food and baby items to Srbica-Skanderai. In addition, anonymous threats were made on 10 March to delegates from the ICRC and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. This situation naturally makes it more difficult for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to do its humanitarian work.
The ICRC is continuing its representations with a view to visiting the persons arrested and detained in the wake of recent events.
Finally, the Federation is building up stocks of food and emergency non-food items in its warehouses in Tirana (Albania), Skopje (Macedonia) and Podgorica (Montenegro), with the assistance of the National Societies concerned.
SOMALIA OVER 9,000 CASES OF CHOLERA RECORDED IN THREE MONTHS
Since December 1997 over 9,000 people have been treated for cholera in Somalia. About 1,000 patients were treated during the same month at the "SOS Children" hospital in Mogadishu, and the capital's other medical facilities have handled 7,460 cases since the end of last year. Elsewhere in the country -- in Balad, Afgoi, Awdegle, Hawadle, Jamame and Boo -- a further 696 cases were recorded.
In cooperation with other aid agencies, the ICRC is supplying the facilities at Benadir, Bermuda, Awdegle, Hawadle, Boo, Jamame and Wanlaweyne with intravenous fluids, oral rehydration salts (ORS) and antibiotics, and restoring sanitation facilities to working order where necessary.
The ICRC is also pursuing its prevention and education programme, particularly in remote villages. Joint ICRC/Somali Red Crescent Society teams are training local health workers in preventive methods: raising public awareness of the disease, underlining the importance of hygiene and providing oral rehydration as soon as first symptoms appear. The teams are also supplying chlorine for water purification and ORS for on-the-spot treatment, thereby aiming to reduce the number of people who succumb to the disease before reaching cholera treatment centres.
"The cholera epidemic isn't over yet. In fact, many people are expecting another sharp increase in a month's time, with the arrival of the rainy season", said Verena Krebs, ICRC health delegate in charge of the programme. The exceptionally large number of people affected by the cholera -- so far almost double the total recorded throughout the epidemic in 1997 -- is partly due to the floods which have plagued East Africa since last October. "The floods have left the inhabitants vulnerable and brought about major population movements, which greatly increases the risks of the disease being transmitted".
UKRAINE ASSISTANCE IN CRIMEA
In view of the ever-increasing humanitarian needs in Crimea, the ICRC has decided to provide support for the local committee of the Ukrainian Red Cross. Earlier this year, the existing Red Cross network of some 80 nurses making home visits were given medical supplies and 500 pairs of shoes for distribution, together with 20 bicycles and warm clothes to help them in their work. The Finnish Red Cross has just dispatched nearly 20 tonnes of used clothing to be handed out by the local Red Cross, which puts at around 17,500 the number of Crimea's most destitute inhabitants.
A recent survey carried out by the ICRC showed that old-age pensioners, most of whom are living in extremely precarious conditions, make up almost 30% of Crimea's population. Moreover, the region's difficulties are compounded by problems linked to the integration of 250,000 Tatars. The Crimean Tatars, who were deported to Central Asia at the end of World War II, were able to return in the early 1990s. Most of them are living in makeshift housing, often without running water or electricity, and receive insufficient social assistance.
The ICRC opened a regional delegation in Kyiv in 1996. A delegate has been monitoring the situation in Crimea since last autumn.