UNITED NATIONS APPEALS FOR $28.72 MILLION TO MEET HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE NEEDS IN GUINEA-BISSAU
Press Release
IHA/660
UNITED NATIONS APPEALS FOR $28.72 MILLION TO MEET HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE NEEDS IN GUINEA-BISSAU
19980710 NEW YORK/GENEVA, 10 July (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -- The United Nations today issued an inter-agency appeal for humanitarian assistance for Guinea-Bissau, requesting $28.72 million through December to meet the urgent and vital needs of some 350,000 nationals -- internally displaced persons and their vulnerable hosts -- who are adversely affected by the current crisis in the country.The continued fighting, in addition to provoking massive internal displacement of the population, has disrupted normal economic activity at a critical phase, affecting the local food production, distribution and exchange system in this food-deficit country. The object of the current appeal, among other things, is to supply emergency food and agricultural inputs (seeds and tools) for the current planting season to war-affected farming families, as well as emergency medical assistance to minimize the impact of diseases and epidemics. It will also meet basic water and sanitation needs, as well as provisions for child survival care and protection. Funding is also being sought for assistance to vulnerable populations who would otherwise cross the national borders to seek asylum in neighbouring countries, as well as to refugees in the neighbouring republics of Guinea and Senegal.
The appeal is based on the findings of a high-level United Nations mission, dispatched late in June by the Secretary-General to Guinea-Bissau and neighbouring countries to address urgent humanitarian issues and support regional political initiatives. A rapid assessment was conducted by personnel of the United Nations system accredited to Guinea-Bissau but temporarily evacuated to Dakar. The town of Bafata, which currently hosts the largest concentration of internally displaced persons, serves as the forward base for the current United Nations humanitarian operations, from which regular assessments are now being undertaken in-country.
As an immediate response to the humanitarian needs, the United Nations Disaster Management Team for Guinea-Bissau -- comprising the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP) and World Health Organization (WHO) -- has already deployed resources at its disposal to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the national Red Cross and other local and international non-governmental organizations in Guinea-Bissau. Such resources include food, medicines and logistics support.
Donors are asked to respond quickly and generously to provide life- saving support, and to avert or minimize the prospects of massive refugee exodus into neighbouring countries.
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