From: christic@igc.apc.org (Christic Institute)
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
Subject: Somalia: Worst Human Tragedy in the World
Date: 21 Jul 92 19:09:21 GMT
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Organization: ?
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu

/* Written  9:05 am  Jul 21, 1992 by peacenet in cdp:pn.alerts */
/* ---------- "Worst Human Tragedy in the World" ---------- */
From: <peacenet>
Subject: Worst Human Tragedy in the World

>From hrcoord Tue Jul 21 07:17:18 1992
/* Written  6:11 pm  Jul 20, 1992 by dmorse in cdp:reg.africa */
Urgent Press Release from the International Committee of the Red
Crosee

July 9---Citing hundreds of deaths a day from starvation, the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today announced a
new relief plan and appealed for an additional $66 million to
bring urgently needed food and medical supplies to Somalia.  The
greatest number of victims are children.

"While much of recent attention has been given to former
Yugoslavia, 4.5 million people in Somalia face horrible death by
starvation unless something is done soon,: said Ann Stingle,
American Red Cross staff person recently returned from Somalia.
"Many of the children I saw are dead now and more are dying at
this very moment. It is beyond anything I have ever witnessed."

The malnutrition rate in Somalia is currently 78 percent at the
severe, life-threatening level.  Overall malnutrition is 95%.
According to exper3ts, these figures top that of Ethiopia during
the 1984-1985 drought.

The IC of the Red Cross has established 371 kitchens throughout
the country providing one meal a day in an attempt to stave off
famine.  Under the new appeal, the number will increase to 500
kitchens, feeding 650,000 people.

Since interclan fighting broke out in November, the Red Cross has
been able to bri bring in only 64,000 metric tons of food because
of security and logistics.  At least 30,000 tons are needed each
month to avert wholesale starvation.

..."Despite the enormity of the emergency, we have seen very few
offers to help," said Stingle.  The tragedy unfolding in Somlia
continues to go largely unnoticed by the media, the public and the
international community.  Hundreds of thousands of lives depend on
our capacity to care."

...Peersons wishing to contribute to relief efforts in Somalia
should send a check to the American Red Cross earmarked to "Somali
Relief," Post Office Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013.
____________________________

Personal note from dmorse:  the media should be REPORTING THIS.
They aren't Could interested, sympathetic persons please call
National Public Radio's Listener Comment Line (202-775-8686), tell
them you read this Red Cross press release and ask for more and
ongoing news from Somalia?  Another number to call and ask for
reporting is MacNeil/Lehrer(703-998-2844).

The Washington Post wrote a brief editorial about this in May.
They called i it "the worst human tragedy in the world."

A Boston Globe Reporter filed a horror story on Somali refugees in
Yemen.  He called the catastrophe "one of the world's worst and
most ignored disasters."

Andrew Natsios, Assistant Administrator for Food and Humanitarian
Assistance in USAID, called Somalia "the worst humanitrarina
disaster in the world today."

And we're hearing almost nothing about it!

For more information from the Red Cross, Ann Stingle's number is
(202)639-3395.  The contact person on the press release isBrian
Ruberry (202)639-3395.

Pardon my long posts and any mistakes in typing or network
etiquette.  I'm new here, but signed up in part to get this urgent
message out.
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive