DATE=7/27/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=SUDAN FAMINE (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-252203
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
INTRO: U-N aid agencies are warning that tens of
thousands of people in southern Sudan may die of
famine if the Sudanese government doesn't lift its ban
on flights across the Upper Nile. Lisa Schlein in
Geneva reports the ban has prevented the United
Nations from delivering food and other vital relief
supplies to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people
in the region.
TEXT: The U-N's World Food Program says it has waited
two weeks before going public (i.e. making a public
announcement) in the hopes that the Sudanese
government would change its mind and rescind the
flight ban. Spokesman Jean-Luc Siblot says,
unfortunately, negotiations thus far have been
fruitless. He says the government claims it is not
allowing the United Nations to fly to rebel-held areas
in the south because of security concerns.
///SIBLOT ACT///
Basically, this is rather in areas where
the government is not in control that the
flight ban is the most important. And the
negotiation will still continue, of course.
And, we can just cross our fingers and hope
that something will happen in the next few
days.
///END ACT///
A cease-fire between the government and rebel forces
took effect a year ago. It has been renewed twice.
However, on July 14th, the government ended the cease-
fire and clamped down on U-N relief flights to the
south. The World Food Program says 150-thousand people
in the western Upper Nile are in urgent need of
humanitarian assistance. It warns that unless the ban
is lifted soon, the people of southern Sudan could be
heading toward a humanitarian catastrophe similar to
the famine that occurred last year. An estimated 40-
thousand people died from hunger and disease.
Patrick McCormick of UNICEF -- the U-N Children's Fund
-- says the breakdown of the cease-fire could imperil
the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.
///MC CORMICK ACT///
This endless saga of Sudan comes at a
particularly bad time. There's never a good
time. But, it's a very bad time now as
people in Bahr-El-Ghazal have only just
recently resumed planting crops and
rebuilding livestock herds. We can't afford
to risk another moment where the small
amount of progress that we have made over
the last couple of months is threatened.
///END ACT///
The U-N aid agencies say renewed fighting could
trigger massive displacement of men, women and
children. They note 30-thousand people in various
pockets (areas) across the region already have fled
their homes without either food or belongings.
(Signed)
NEB/LS/GE/rrm
27-Jul-1999 11:25 AM LOC (27-Jul-1999 1525 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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