UNITED NATIONS SEEKS $823 MILLION FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
Press Release
IHA/589
UNITED NATIONS SEEKS $823 MILLION FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
19960301 NEW YORK, 1 March (Department of Humanitarian Affairs) -- The United Nations today appealed for $823 million to assist refugees, internally displaced persons and other war-affected people to rebuild their lives following years of conflict which have devastated communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the neighbouring republics. This is the first United Nations humanitarian appeal since the signing of the Dayton Agreement in December 1995.The humanitarian assistance programme is part of the United Nations contribution to the implementation of the peace process in the region. It is a crucial component in the international community's efforts to help more than 3 million people replace the despair of war with the hope of a lasting peace.
The revised consolidated inter-agency appeal addresses the most pressing humanitarian needs for the period January to December 1996 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia.
The United Nations humanitarian agencies will continue to focus on assistance to war-affected populations, while promoting the return and reintegration of refugees and displaced persons. Many projects address the recovery and rehabilitation needs of war-damaged societies with reconciliation and confidence-building activities, in addition to land-mine awareness and clearance programmes.
Of the total requirements identified in the appeal, $181 million were available for the operation as of 31 January, leaving a shortfall of $642 million. The new requirements are based on an earlier appeal, issued 20 November 1995, for the period January through April.
The revised 1996 appeal addresses the following main areas:
-- The continuation of humanitarian assistance programmes in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the neighbouring countries;
-- Support for orderly and voluntary repatriation of refugees and the return/relocation of internally displaced persons; and
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The promotion of reconstruction and recovery through transitional activities including local capacity-building and longer-term support programmes.
The success of the humanitarian programme of the United Nations will depend on the early availability of funding to enable the humanitarian programme to continue to meet pressing needs and support recovery and rehabilitation activities.
The United Nations programmes and specialized agencies and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) continue to coordinate their activities with other partners in the humanitarian effort, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the non-governmental organization community and bilateral aid agencies. The humanitarian community will also work closely with the High Representative responsible for the civilian components of the Dayton Agreement, Carl Bildt, as well as with the Secretary-General's Special Representative and Coordinator of United Nations operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iqbal Riza.
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