Kampuchea aid flow begins

Press, 1 October 1979, Page 8

Kampuchea aid flow begins

[ NZPA-Reuter Bangkok i [ Two international relief [groups have opened an I ! office in Phnom Penh, set-1 [ting up the structure for ex-i [ panded aid to starving Kam-’ [puchea, a spokesman for one; [of the angencies has said. | I He said he had received [confirmation from Phnom I Penh that the office had!: I been opened on Wednesday,! [the day the United Nations[ [Children’s Fund and the: I International Committee of [the Red Cross announced, [that Kampuchea had ' ap- ; I proved a large-scale relief[; [effort. [ The office will co-ordinate !i [ aid from all western relief [ I organisations, and will work: [to insure quick and impar-1 itial distribution of supplies. ' I The two agencies have not [yet completed plans for ■ methods of distribution nor: [made public the scale of the relief effort.

i One representative of Unicef and two of I.C.R.C. are in Phnom Penh. They have[ handled five relief flights so', ■ far, bringing ,a total 166[! 'tonnes of food and medicine.| [as their own supplies —■ [bicycles, kitchen materials, [, [some office equipment, tar-[ paulins, and rat poison,! according to a Unicef spokesman. I Various methods of providing the aid are being worked out. including an expanded airlift, expanded sup- 1 , plies across the Thai border, 'and possibly supply by sea [and river. [ The Phnom Penh Govern-1 [ment has also agreed to[ international assistance fori [the tens of thousands of| [civilians massing along the | Thai-Kampuchean border,! 'where there are predictions of a Vietnamese offensive against Pol Pot guerrillas as the rains cease in the coming weeks.