Saul, I concur with your view relating to the role of South Africa in the relief effort in Mozambique. SA has taken its moral responsibility as a good neighbour conscientiously to the extent of being critiqued by its own citizens of neglect. Remember, they are affected as well by the devastating floods albeit to a lesser scale. I join those who salute SA for their selfless efforts. Malawi, Botswana, Ghana, Mauritius to name but a few African countries that have thus far contributed to the relief effort should be commended as well. Humanitarian assistance is highly specialised and requires delivery mechanism different from the traditional development assistance mode. Agencies such as the UN (Humanitarian Affairs) national agencies in the west (Disaster Preparedness Agency in the US, for instance) and NGOs that specialise in this type of assistance are better equipped to handled disasters of the magnitude seen in Mozambique. The OAU is not equipped to handle such operations. Perhaps it is about time, as Basil suggested, establishing a disaster management capability at the continental level but only, in my view, in collaboration with the UN Humanitarian Affairs agency. In fact, given the huge logistical challenges pose by a continent-wide structure, I would argue for a regional approach as the most effective and efficient. Meanwhile, as we watch the human drama and suffering unfold in Mozambique, I am afraid to say that the worst is yet to come for both Mozambique and the rest of Africa unless urgent action is taken to mitigate the environmental devastation that we have been partly responsible for as Africans. Practically, the entire west coast is an environmental disaster area. Deforestation, coastal erosion, inappropriate land use and a host of other forms of environmental degradation must be checked appropriate policies put in place and vigorously enforced. Unless we address these environmental concerns urgently, we will not be spared of similar calamities. It is our responsibility to take the lead. sidi sanneh ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------