Relief Efforts Halted Temporarily Amid Criticism of Airdrop Operations

Strategic Insights -

United Nations officials have confirmed that relief efforts have been halted temporarily following criticism of airdrop operations conducted on Sunday. Despite the delay, food and supplies are still being delivered to the estimated 1.2 million refugees jammed into camps on the Zaire-Rwanda border via roadways from the Goma airfield and over land from Uganda. The airdrop delay comes despite the first positive assessment of progress by the international relief operation from a U.N. official since the Rwandan refugees began streaming over the border into Zaire over a week ago.

Key Takeaways:

  • The airdrop of food and relief supplies, planned for Monday, has been delayed temporarily due to criticism of the previous day's operation.
  • The U.N.-coordinated supply drop is expected to resume on Tuesday, with an estimated 42 planeloads of supplies expected to arrive at the Goma airfield.
  • The relief effort has gathered steam in the past 24 hours, with aid arriving from the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia, Israel, and Italy.
  • The Egyptian government sent 10,000 doses of cholera vaccine, and the government of Bangladesh is sending a planeload of cholera experts.
  • Sanitation in the camps is of paramount concern, with Medicins sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders) estimating that 11,000 refugees have died after being stricken with cholera, and 3,000 more are dying per day.
  • Many refugees with enough physical strength to walk are now attempting to return to Rwanda, where the UNHCR says there is enough food to sustain their return.
  • U.N. officials estimate that many thousands more refugees have crossed over undetected at unmanned border points, in addition to the 2,000-3,000 who were allowed passage over the weekend.
  • Goma airfield officials expect up to 42 planeloads of supplies to arrive on Monday, a sharp jump from the 10 planes per day that had been arriving by the end of last week.

Statistics:

  • 1.2 million refugees jammed into camps on the Zaire-Rwanda border
  • 11,000 refugees have died after being stricken with cholera
  • 3,000 refugees are dying per day due to cholera
  • 2,000-3,000 refugees have crossed back into Rwanda via authorized passage
  • 42 planeloads of supplies expected to arrive at Goma airfield on Monday
  • 10,000 doses of cholera vaccine sent by the Egyptian government
  • Relief officials at Goma airfield were expecting 10 planes per day by the end of last week, but now expect up to 42 planeloads per day

Sources:

  • United Press International
  • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  • International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
  • Medicins sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders)
  • World Food Program
  • Rwandan Patriotic Front
  • U.N. spokesman Joe Sills
  • U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees spokesman Rupert Colville