DATE=6/2/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=AFGHAN DROUGHT (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-263094
BYLINE=GORDON MARTIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations refugee agency reports that
because of what it says is the worst drought for the
past three decades in Afghanistan, it is slowing the
return of Afghan refugees from neighboring Pakistan
and Iran. Gordon Martin reports from Geneva.
TEXT: At the peak of the crisis following the Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan 21 years ago, there were an
estimated six-million Afghan refugees.
Iran and Pakistan still host about two-point-six-
million, the biggest refugee caseload in the world.
Ron Redmond, spokesman for the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, U-N-H-C-R, says the drought
has affected millions of people. It has caused
dislocation, loss of livestock and damage to crops.
/// 1st REDMOND ACT ///
As a result, U-N-H-C-R's assisted returns of
Afghan refugees from both Iran and Pakistan to
the drought-stricken southern Afghan provinces
of Kandahar, Helmand, Farah and Nimroz have been
put on hold. Millions of people live in the
hardest-hit southern Afghan provinces, where
there are an estimated 400-thousand people now
in need of food assistance.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Redmond says the refugee agency is also very
concerned about the effects of the drought on Iran and
Pakistan.
/// 2nd REDMOND ACT ///
The situation in large areas stretching across
the southern borders of all three countries is
said to be critical. The United Nations is
providing food, shelter, water, medicine,
transportation and fodder for animals. But it's
a very, very difficult situation. In Pakistan,
the drought is most felt in the southern
province of Baluchistan, where we have some 132-
thousand refugees; of these, about 80 thousand
are severely affected.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Redmond reports that in cooperation with the local
authorities, the U-N refugee agency is taking measures
to try to alleviate the drought, by rehabilitating
wells, drilling new ones, installing water pumps and
providing other assistance. /// OPT /// Iran has 17
provinces in the south, southeast and southwest
affected by the drought. /// END OPT ///
Mr. Redmond adds that the situation for newly-returned
refugees in Afghanistan is dire.
/// 3rd REDMOND ACT ///
In Afghanistan, where there are 400-thousand
newly-returned refugees, and 260-thousand
internally-displaced people of concern to U-N-H-
C-R, it's the worst drought in 29 years. The
spring rains have failed and the wells have
dried up, the most affected people have lost
almost all of their crops, and up to 80 percent
of their livestock.
/// END ACT ///
But there is one piece of positive news from war-torn
Afghanistan. The United Nations Children's Fund,
UNICEF, says it is continuing [this weekend] a
nationwide campaign to immunize four-point-five
million Afghan children against polio, taking
advantage of a promised cease-fire between the
country's warring factions.
A first round of vaccinations was carried out
successfully in May, when the ruling Taleban regime
and its opponents respected an agreed truce.
Two further anti-polio operations are planned for
later this year. (Signed)
NEB/GM/ENE-T/GE/WTW
02-Jun-2000 13:02 PM EDT (02-Jun-2000 1702 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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