DATE=4/23/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-248508
TITLE=AFGHAN U-N (L)
BYLINE=ALI ZAIDI
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE UNITED NATIONS SAYS FUNDING SHORTAGES ARE SEVERELY
AFFECTING RELIEF AND REPATRIATION EFFORTS FOR AFGHAN REFUGEES.
PAKISTAN IS STILL SHELTERING MORE THAN A MILLION REFUGEES AS THE
WAR IN AFGHANISTAN DRAGS ON. ALI ZAIDI REPORTS FROM ISLAMABAD.
TEXT: TWENTY THOUSAND AFGHAN REFUGEES LIVING IN TWO CAMPS INSIDE
PAKISTAN ARE TO BE LEFT WITHOUT FOOD SUPPLIES AT THE END OF THE
MONTH. THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM (W-F-P) SAYS IT DOESN'T HAVE THE
MONEY TO CONTINUE FEEDING THEM.
THE REFUGEES WHO WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THE FOOD CUT-OFF ARE
RELATIVELY RECENT ARRIVALS IN PAKISTAN, BUT AFGHANS HAVE REMAINED
THE LARGEST CASE-LOAD OF REFUGEES IN THE WORLD FOR ALMOST 20
YEARS.
W-F-P SPOKESWOMAN SUSAN MANUEL SAYS THIS IS AN INDICATION OF THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S LACK OF INTEREST IN FURTHER SUPPORTING
AFGHAN REFUGEES.
// MANUEL ACT //
W-F-P HAS BEEN FEEDING 20,000 OF THESE NEW ARRIVALS
EVERY MONTH SINCE EARLY 1997, UNDER AN EMERGENCY STATUS
PROGRAM WHICH COST U-S 2 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
UNFORTUNATELY THAT PROJECT HAS NEVER BEEN FULLY BACKED
BY THE DONORS, AND WE'VE BEEN BORROWING THE FOOD AID
FROM OUR AFGHANISTAN PROGRAM TO KEEP THIS PROGRAM IN
PAKISTAN GOING. NOW OUR AFGHANISTAN PROGRAM IS BACK IN
FULL GEAR OR HEADING BACK TO FULL GEAR AND THEY CAN NO
LONGER AFFORD THESE LOANS AND THEY'VE NEVER BEEN REPAID
BY THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM (IN) PAKISTAN.
// END ACT //
THE U-N FOOD AGENCY SAYS IT DESPERATELY NEEDS FUNDING ALLOCATIONS
BY APRIL 30, OR THE EMERGENCY FOOD AID WILL STOP.
ABOUT 1.2 MILLION REFUGEES LIVE IN CAMPS INSIDE PAKISTAN; MOST
HAVE BEEN HERE FOR MANY YEARS AND ARE NOW CONSIDERED
"SELF-SUFFICIENT" BY THE U-N. THERE ARE ALSO A LARGE NUMBER OF
REFUGEES LIVING ELSEWHERE IN PAKISTAN WHO ARE UNACCOUNTED FOR BY
THE UNITED NATIONS. AT THE HEIGHT OF THE REFUGEE CRISIS IN 1990,
PAKISTAN HOSTED OVER THREE MILLION AFGHAN REFUGEES FLEEING THE
SOVIET INVASION AND THE SUBSEQUENT WAR IN THEIR COUNTRY.
THE UNITED NATIONS SAYS FUNDING SHORTAGES HAVE BEEN ESPECIALLY
ACUTE SINCE LAST YEAR, AND ALL RELIEF AGENCIES ARE BEING
AFFECTED. AMONG THOSE MOST AFFECTED IS THE REPATRIATION EFFORT OF
THE U-N'S REFUGEE AGENCY, THE U-N-H-C-R, WHICH IS TRYING TO
ENCOURAGE AFGHANS TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMELAND.
U-N OFFICIALS SAY AN AVERAGE OF ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND AFGHANS HAVE
VOLUNTARILY RETURNED TO THEIR COUNTRY EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST
THREE YEARS. THE U-N-H-C-R IS PLANNING FOR A SIMILAR NUMBER TO BE
REPATRIATED THIS YEAR, BUT OFFICIALS SAY THOSE TARGETS COULD BE
BADLY AFFECTED BY FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS.
THE FUNDING SHORTAGE IS PRIMARILY AFFECTING RE-INTEGRATION
PROJECTS IN AFGHANISTAN, WHICH OFFICIALS FEAR COULD MAKE MANY
AFGHAN REFUGEES RELUCTANT TO RETURN.
WITH THE SUMMER "HIGH SEASON" FOR REPATRIATION NEARING, U-N-H-C-R
HAS APPEALED TO DONOR AGENCIES TO CONTINUE AIDING THE
REPATRIATION EFFORT. BUT SO FAR THE AGENCY HAS RECEIVED
COMMITMENTS OF ONLY ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS, AGAINST THE 2.4
MILLION DOLLARS IT HAS REQUESTED FOR REPATRIATION PROJECTS.
U-N OFFICIALS SAY THE SITUATION IN KOSOVO IS GOING TO MAKE IT
EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO CONVINCE DONORS TO CONTINUE FUNDING FOR
THE AFGHAN REFUGEES.. (SIGNED)
NEB/AZ/LTD
23-Apr-99 8:09 AM EDT (1209 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
