DATE=6/17/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=ERITREA-UNICEF
NUMBER=2-263573
BYLINE=CAROL PINEAU
DATELINE=ASMARA, ETHIOPIA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea has
forced more than one-million people to flee their
homes. Aid officials say despite a peace agreement to
be signed on Sunday, the humanitarian crisis will
continue for some time. Carol Bellamy, the executive
director of the United Nations' Children's Fund,
UNICEF, was in Eritrea today (Saturday) to assess the
conditions. Carol Pineau reports from the Eritrean
capital, Asmara, on the aid agency director's
findings.
TEXT: UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy had
planned to visit the Horn of Africa region to assess
the drought situation, but the past month of fighting
between Ethiopia and Eritrea has left Eritrea with a
much greater crisis - nearly one-million people
displaced by war.
/// Bellamy Act ///
A good one-third of the population of this
country is confronting a very serious, serious
humanitarian crisis, a crisis that has immediate
implications but also long-term implications.
/// End Act ///
The people fled their homes after Ethiopia began
shelling towns deep inside Eritrean territory. Many
left with nothing. They now need water, sanitation,
food, shelter and medicine.
Ms. Bellamy says aid agencies must act quickly.
/// Bellamy Act ///
I want to emphasize the real crisis over the
next two to three weeks before the rains start,
when a great deal could be done, and certainly
call on the international community to respond
quickly to allow this window of opportunity to
be utilized.
/// End Act ///
During Ms. Bellamy's visit, she toured a displaced
persons camp near the Eritrean capital. In the past
three weeks, more than 67-thousand people have crowded
into the camp. Thousands more arrive every day.
Those numbers are expected to increase dramatically
when the rains begin.
Right now, thousands of people are living in dry river
beds, but once the rains start, those rivers will
flood and thousands more will arrive in the camps --
all of them needing food and shelter.
The rains will also bring the risk of disease --
malaria and respiratory infections.
/// Bellamy Act ///
Are we ready? I think we are clearly ready to
deal with the crisis, but I believe that the
scale right now, which has really just grown
dramatically in the last 35 to 40 days, probably
means nobody is really ready. What I do think
we are is knowledgeable about it, and definitely
in the process of getting ourselves more ready
in order to meet a much larger crisis than we'd
anticipated. We were all working with smaller
numbers.
/// End Act ///
Ms. Bellamy says the only real solution is a lasting
peace.
Ethiopia and Eritrea have agreed to a cease-fire, but
even with the signing of that agreement -- planned for
Sunday -- aid workers say the humanitarian situation
is almost certain to get a lot worse before it gets
better.
/// Rest Opt ///
The peace agreement allows Ethiopian troops to say on
Eritrean land until the deployment of a peacekeeping
force. Military experts say that deployment could
take two months -- or even longer -- during which time
Eritrea's displaced cannot return home.
The people come from the fertile border region, the
breadbasket of Eritrea. Right now, they should be
putting seed in the ground for next year's harvest.
Instead, they are in displacement camps, needing to be
feed instead of working to feeding the nation.
Their displacement means Eritrea will have almost no
grain harvest this year. (SIGNED)
NEB/CP/JP
17-Jun-2000 13:26 PM EDT (17-Jun-2000 1726 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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