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DATE=8/15/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=W-F-P / CHECHNYA (L-O)
NUMBER=2-265489
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO:  The U-N World Food Program is sending trucks 
carrying desperately needed food for thousands of 
people in Chechnya.  Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports 
this is the first international assistance to go to 
Chechnya in many months.
TEXT:  The World Food Program says the two convoys are 
carrying food assistance for 35-thousand people facing 
starvation in the Chechen capital, Grozny, and the 
border district of Urus-Martin.
It says a fleet of 10-trucks with 132-tons of food is 
heading for Grozny.  It says the food will be 
distributed to 31-thousand of the neediest people.  
These include elderly, ill, and handicapped Chechens 
along with single mothers and their children.  
W-F-P's Christiane Berthiaume says these people have 
been struggling to survive in the heavily damaged city 
since the Russian military launched its operations in 
Chechnya last year. 
            /// BERTHIAUME ACT ONE ///
      Those are the people that have not the means nor 
      the resources to flee during the conflict to 
      Ingushetia like many others have been able to 
      do.  Those people have been trapped inside 
      Chechnya, most of them in Grozny, and they are 
      living in appalling conditions.  There is no 
      electricity.  There is no water, clean water.  
      There is no food, no medicines, no housing.  The 
      houses have been either destroyed or they are 
      heavily damaged.  So these people need really 
      help very quickly. 
            /// END ACT ///
The other convoy is traveling to the Urus-Martin 
district with food for more than 35-hundred homeless 
people.
The W-F-P says Chechen civilian authorities are 
accompanying the convoys, not Russian military 
escorts.  
Because of the risk of kidnappings, international aid 
agencies are not working in Chechnya.  Therefore, Ms. 
Berthiaume says W-F-P will rely on private agencies 
working inside the republic to distribute the food to 
the people most in need.
            /// BERTHIAUME ACT TWO ///
      We have gone through a lot of security checking 
      to make sure that the food will get in, will not 
      be stolen, will get to people that really need 
      it.  It should not be stolen by any bandits or 
      anyone else.  There has been a lot of security 
      concerns.  But, now we are quite sure, we took 
      all the necessary security measures to make sure 
      that the food gets in safely. 
            /// END ACT ///
W-F-P says it plans to send another food convoy to 
Chechnya on Friday and two others next week.  
            /// REST OPT ///
Ms. Berthiaume says the agency would like to continue 
assisting the Chechens.  But, she says lack of money 
is severely hampering its work.  She says the agency 
appealed for 14-million dollars for Chechnya and has 
received less than two-million dollars.   (SIGNED)
NEB/LS/JWH/RAE
15-Aug-2000 09:11 AM EDT (15-Aug-2000 1311 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.