DATE=12/7/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CONGO FOOD AID (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-256923
BYLINE=JENNIFER WIENS
DATELINE=NAIROBI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The World Food Program (W-F-P) says it is
running out of resources to feed hundreds-of-thousands
of people displaced by the civil war in the Democratic
Republic of Congo. As Jennifer Wiens reports, the U-N
agency is asking for more aid to help those fleeing
from the fighting.
TEXT: The United Nations estimates 800-thousand
Congolese have been displaced from their homes due to
fighting between President Laurent Kabila's forces and
rebel fighters. Most of the displaced have fled deep
into the forest, far from their farms and jobs, and
with little means of finding or buying food.
The World Food Program is concentrating on feeding
350-thousand of the internal refugees. But in a
statement released this week in the Kenyan capital of
Nairobi, the W-F-P says it is running out of money for
its Congo program.
The W-F-P's Michele Quintaglie says although the
agency has been successful in reaching people in
remote areas, the shortage of money means they may not
be able to provide much help for much longer.
/// ACT QUINTAGLIE ///
As we access more (i.e. gain access to more
people in need), we are going to be facing a
dilemma, where we are going into areas and
finding people who need our help, but we
actually can not provide it.
/// END ACT ///
A series of civil wars and rebellions has gripped the
Democratic Republic of Congo since 1996, when Laurent
Kabila seized power from ousted dictator Mobutu Sese
Seko. Now rebels - in part backed by Uganda and
Rwanda - are trying to overthrow President Kabila, who
is being supported with troops and arms from Zimbabwe,
Angola, and Namibia.
A cease-fire and peace accord was signed in August,
but it has been ignored in the past few weeks, with
reports of heavy fighting. The new fighting has meant
new refugees, with some observers saying whole
villages have been deserted.
W-F-P's Michele Quintaglie recently visited several
regions of the Congo. She says the situation is
becoming serious, even if there are not yet signs of
many deaths due to starvation.
/// ACT QUINTAGLIE ///
You will always find a handful of children,
elderly people who are visibly malnourished.
But the vast majority look like they are
managing to cope. So you start to question, is
the crisis as bad as it seems? And the reality
is, yes it is a crisis. You already have the
weakest starting to show malnutrition, and it is
just a matter of time before more of them will
if they do not get help.
/// END ACT ///
The W-F-P launched its Congo program in June, in both
the government-controlled west and in the rebel-
dominated east. The agency asked for 30-million
dollars to provide food assistance, but so far, the
agency has received only 10-million dollars.
(SIGNED)
NEB/JW/GE/RAE
07-Dec-1999 09:48 AM EDT (07-Dec-1999 1448 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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