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DATE=10/06/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2

TITLE=W-F-P / D-R-C (L ONLY)

BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN

DATELINE=GENEVA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The United Nations says the Democratic Republic of Congo, or D-R-C, is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe. Lisa Schlein reports the U-N held a special donors' meeting in Geneva on Thursday to alert the international community to what it says is a rapidly deteriorating situation.

TEXT: Among those testifying were the U-N secretary- general's special representative in the Congo, Kamel Morjane, and the head of the U-N's humanitarian assistance program, Ross Mountain, who recently returned from an assessment mission to the D-R-C.

They told donors that the country is bankrupt, the infrastructure is non-existent, roads are destroyed and farming areas that were once highly productive are not producing any food.

They noted almost two million people have been made homeless by the civil war. World Food Program spokeswoman, Christiane Berthiaume says at least 16 million people in the D-R-C do not have enough food to eat. She says about two million people are at risk of starvation.

/// BERTHIAUME ACT ///

If we don't react quickly, many, many thousands of people are going to die. There already are thousands of people who are dying. There are thousands of malnourished children in the bush, but also in the cities. The needs are great.

/// END ACT ///

Ms. Berthiaume says aid agencies face enormous obstacles in trying to deliver food and other relief supplies to those in need. She says there are problems of access and insecurity. And, then of course, there is the problem of money.

/// BERTHIAUME 2ND ACT ///

There is a catastrophe in the making in Congo and we really need to react quickly. Obviously, the solution to this country is peace. This country is at war and the negotiations will have to go on. But, meanwhile, there are too many people suffering. We cannot stay silent.

/// END ACT ///

The World Food Program is feeding 350-thousand people. It says it would like to assist one-point-four-million people, but there is no money. In addition, W-F-P notes thousands of new Angolan refugees are streaming into the Congo. It says they too have to be fed. (Signed)

NEB/LS/KL/KBK