Greetings, Pass this Appeal for Hamanitarian Assistance Along. Thanks. Jamila __________________________________________________________________ --- "Zerzghi, Amanuel (Amanuel)" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > From: "Zerzghi, Amanuel (Amanuel)" <[log in to unmask]> > To: "'Jamila Allston'" <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: URGENT HUMANITARIAN ASSISSTANCE NEEDED FOR ERITREA > Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 12:02:23 -0400 > > URGENT HUMANITARIAN ASSISSTANCE NEEDED FOR ERITREA > > Half the population of Eritrea is in need of Humanitarian assistance. > Refugees International, recently visited a "site near the village of > Add > Keshi where 200 women gave birth while on the road." Hundreds more > are > pregnant and will need postnatal care. > > For Immediate Release July 11, > 2000 > > Following the 12 May 2000 Ethiopian offensive, the humanitarian > crises in > Eritrea have worsened significantly. According to an assessment by > the > United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs > (OCHA), > the number of people affected have now reached 1.5 million, which > amounts > to about half the Eritrean population. Eritrea, a nation proud of its > self-reliance, is being forced to rely on relief food because a large > number of its displaced civilians are farmers from a region > considered > Eritrea's "breadbasket." Ethiopia currently occupies parts of this > region, > which produces about 60 to 80 per cent of the country's agricultural > output. This occupation is preventing the uprooted farmers from > coming > back to their towns. Ethiopia, reportedly, will not end its illegal > occupation until UN peacekeepers are deployed in a 25-km buffer zone > inside Eritrea. Some Eritrean refugees have already told UNHCR they > will > not return to their home until after the Ethiopian forces have > withdrawn > from their towns. Nevertheless, with the passing of the June-July > rainy > season there will be no harvest for most of the displaced farmers. > Consequently, Eritrea will be dependent on international food aid > this > year and well into next year. > > Donor response to emergency appeals issued by the Eritrean Relief and > Refugee Commission (ERREC) has so far been very poor. The plight of > many > Eritreans will continue to deteriorate seriously without immediate > humanitarian assistance. Eritrea's humanitarian crisis requires > short-term > emergency as well as long-term programs to alleviate shortages in > food > supply, health care, shelter, and water. Unfortunately, neither the > short-term nor the long-term programs are currently in place to > support > Eritreans in need. On 5 July 2000, the UNHCR said that only one third > of > Eritrea's displaced population had been provided with adequate > shelter. > Worst still, FY 2001 USAID budget currently has no Food Aid to > Eritrea. > > Following a recent visit to Eritrea, Hugh Parmer, the USAID Assistant > Administrator for Humanitarian Response said, " the government of > Eritrea > is doing an excellent job of managing the needs of [its] displaced > countrymen." Eritrea has a very good record in mobilizing its > resources > to support its citizens in need. NGOs trying to deliver humanitarian > aid > in Eritrea will receive cooperation by the government. But, the donor > community must respond generously to Eritrean appeals for emergency > aid. > Eritreans deserve as much attention as the civilian victims of war in > Kosovo. The Eritrean American Network for Peace-DC urges the donor > community to respond to Eritrean needs by committing funds to ERREC, > the > UNHCR, and other NGOs that are currently operating in Eritrea. > > The Eritrean American Action Network for Peace, 600 L. Street, NW, > Washington, D.C. 20001 Phone: 202-393-8467; Fax: 202-393-8469 > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get Yahoo! Mail – Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------