From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: SOMALIA: UNICEF lauds media and urg
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 23:45:23 GMT

Reference: Third World Dvpmnt
Title: SOMALIA: UNICEF lauds media and urges continued support


bonn, aug 24 (ips/ramesh jaura) -- mass deaths on an ''unheard of
scale'' can be avoided in somalia if the media continue to focus
on the famine-stricken country, a united nations children's fund
(unicef) official said here monday.

ian macleod, unicef information officer in mogadishu, the
capital, said ''somalia would be a forgotten country'' without the
media (of late) highlighting both hunger and death that have come
to stalk the north-east african land.

''sad though it is, the 'walking skeletons' in somalia beamed
by television cameras and front-page stories of death and disaster
had alerted the international community about the situation and
forced it to launch on a huge relief effort,'' macleod said.

somalia has been in the grips of a vicious civil war for the
last 20 months with the various factions which united to drive out
dictator mohammed siad barre having since turned against each
other. in addition, months of drought have resulted in serious
food shortages.

according to macleod, nearly 1.5 million people in somalia are
threatened with starvation. of these one million are children.
''and those among them who survive will constitute a lost
generation because they will be stunted both mentally and
physically,'' he added.

somalia itself had been reduced to a land without a central,
provincial or local administration; it has no electricity, hardly
any clean drinking water, no medicine, and few functioning
hospitals, said macleod.

unicef, which has strengthened its emergency aid to somalia
since last december, needs some 22 million dollars until year-end
to carry out its relief effort.

unicef is also providing emergency health care to the somalis,
particularly the displaced people who are affected by the war and
the drought.

it is estimated that 2.6 million people desperately need
essential health care and first aid, according to an official
unicef paper made available by the organisation's german chapter.

until the end of the year, unicef plans to support the
rehabilitation and functioning of 14 additional hospitals, 50
mother and child health centres, and 130 village health posts. it
will also supply medical equipment and construction materials,
along with training and logistical support. (more/ips)

somalia: unicef lauds media and urges continued support(2-e)

somalia: unicef (2)

another task the unicef has set itself, according to the
paper, is to provide water and sanitation facilities for drought
and war-affected people in north-west, north-east, central and
south somalia. it will also be providing nutritional support and
supplementary feeding of children in these areas.

until year-end, the organisation will provide supplementary and
therapeutic nutritional services for 120,000 malnourished
children.

''as road and marine transport is difficult in many areas of
somalia, it is essential to continue to airlift vital supplies
into the country,'' said macleod.

in fact, unicef has been supporting an airlift operation in
which its own supplies and those of non-governmental organisations
(ngos) have been delivered to mogadishu and other areas.

funds are needed to ensure that this programme is continued as
well as to provide backup logistics to monitor and assess
programmes and to organise warehouse and road transport
facilities, macleod said.

he said later this month, unicef will start the first
integrated programme involving supply of seeds and agricultural
equipment as well as supplementary feeding and medical care. it
will benefit some 16,000 families.

''agricultural rehabilitation is essential if we do not wish to
make people dependent on external aid,'' he added, as somalis from
central and southern parts of the country who had sought refuge in
camps in mogadishu and its vicinity, want to go back.
(end/ips/ip/cw/raj/cdm/92)


-- 
Mr. Aaron Barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us -- posting from Evanston, Illinois
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african