Military

DATE=11/12/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=EAST AFRICA FAMINE (L-O)

NUMBER=2-296368

BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN

DATELINE=GENEVA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: U-N aid agencies say they are increasingly worried by the lack of response to their appeals for assistance from international donors. The immediate focus of their concern is the Horn of Africa, where they say millions of people are threatened by famine. Lisa Schlein has more from Geneva.

TEXT: The World Food Program is appealing for a total of 700-million dollars over the next year for Ethiopia, where it says as many as 14-million Ethiopians are in danger of starvation.

But W-F-P spokeswoman Christiane Berthiaume says the agency needs to receive 80-million dollars immediately to buy food and supplies for Ethiopia for the next three-months.

Part of the problem, Ms. Berthiaume says, is that Ethiopia never really recovered from a food shortage of two-years ago. In addition, she says more has to be done besides giving food.

/// BERTHIAUME ACT ///

/// OPT /// What is really saddening is that two-years ago, we were facing a similar crisis. And now, two-years after, we are back to square one and that is a shame. And /// END OPT ///

some people sometimes come to us and say how come. Because we are doing band-aid. We are helping people, but we are not doing any development programs. I am not just talking only about W-F-P, but also other U-N organizations that do not have the resources to do things to help this population.

/// END ACT ///

Ms. Berthiaume says two-years ago, the international community responded generously to appeals for emergency assistance. She says that response averted a major tragedy in Ethiopia. She says the same kind of action is needed now.

Meanwhile, the U-N Children's Fund says Ethiopia's neighbor, Eritrea, also is in dire straits. The children's agency says more than half the country's population, about two-point-three million-people, is in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

UNICEF Spokeswoman Wivina Belmonte says the border conflict with Ethiopia and the worst drought to hit the country in more than a decade have left the population with few resources. She says UNICEF needs about 600-thousand dollars to implement nutritional and education programs until the end of the year.

/// BELMONTE ACT ///

We are particularly helping to support feeding programs in regional and sub-regional hospitals, as well as selected health care centers.

/// OPT /// In terms of therapeutic feeding of severely malnourished children, we are doing that in 16-hospitals and in 15-health centers to help 18-thousand-400-children. We are also trying to supply supplementary feeding for 370-thousand children under age five and 115-thousand pregnant and lactating women. /// END OPT ///

/// END ACT ///

In addition to the shortage of food, UNICEF says more than 100 schools in Eritrea have no water and some may be forced to close down because of this. (SIGNED)

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