| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
DATED 11 DECEMBER 1998
UNITED NATIONS ISSUES AN APPEAL FOR US $ 28.6 MILLION TO MEET HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IN GUINEA-BISSAU
United Nations agencies today issued an appeal for US$ 28,6 million to meet the urgent needs of some 385,000 internally displaced persons in Guinea-Bissau and their vulnerable hosts whose lives and livelihoods have been devastated following the military rebellion in June 1998.
The ensuing military conflict in June and which flared up again in October, created massive displacement, destroyed an already limited infrastructure and severely disrupted food production and distribution. Critical social services have been devastated and normal economic activity has stopped altogether.
Over recent weeks, a level of calm has returned to Guinea-Bissau following the signing of Peace Agreement on 1 November 1998. With the assumption that hostilities are over, the United Nations Disaster Management Team for Guinea-Bissau, comprising UNDP, UNHCR, WFP, FAO, UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO and OCHA, in collaboration with other humanitarian partners, have developed a Common Humanitarian Action Plan which aims to provide aid that will enable the people of Guinea-Bissau to recover and return to the path of development.
In the immediate term, the provision of emergency medical assistance is critical to minimize the risk of disease and epidemics. The availability of clean water and an improvement of sanitary conditions in urban and heavily populated areas are vital to protect the lives of the most vulnerable. Given the key role of agriculture in Guinea-Bissauís economy, urgent support to this sector is essential to support food production capacity and to reduce dependency on external food aid. The appeal requests international donors funding to address these areas of humanitarian concern.
Copies of the appeal can be obtained at http://www.releifweb.int.
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 15:58:26 +0000 (GMT) From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.ocha.unon.org> Subject: GUINEA BISSAU: Launch of US $ 28.6 million dollars consolidated appeal to meet humanitarian needs, 1998.12.14