বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড)/৫৫
| শিরোনাম | সূত্র | তারিখ |
| মার্কিন সরকারের শরণার্থী ত্রাণ কার্যক্রম সংক্রান্ত বিবৃতি | পররাষ্ট্র দপ্তর | ১৮ মে, ১৯৭১ |
STATEMENT ON HUMANITARIAN AND REFUGEES RELIEF EFFORTS IN EAST PAKISTAN AND INDIA
The United States Government continues to be seriously concerned about the suffering and hardship which have arisen from the civil disturbances in East Pakistan. Two aspects of this problem have engaged our particular attention. The first is the reestablishment of conditions that will permit restoration of transportation, administration and more normal economic activity so that food distribution and other essential services can be resumed. The second is the care of refugees who have gone to India from East Pakistan.
We have publicly and privately expressed our concern for an early peaceful accommodation that would permit life to return to normal in East Pakistan and the refugees to return to their homes.
We have discussed humanitarian relief efforts with the Governments of Pakistan and India and we have urged international organizations and other interested countries to undertake appropriate contingency planning. We recognize that the problem is basically one for the Governments and people immediately concerned to solve. Their efforts are essential; but the international community can be of great assistance in supporting their efforts and supplementing their resources,
We have associated ourselves, both publicly and privately, with UN Secretary General U Thant's April 1, offer of international humanitarian relief for East Pakistan. We have repeatedly discussed this matter with the Government of Pakistan. Secretary Rogers joined the British Foreign 'Secretary in a message to the Secretary General April 27. Suggesting that he renew his offer of humanitarian assistance. We have indicated our willingness to support such an effort when requested by Pakistan. Meanwhile, we are actively moving forward with contingency planning within the U.S. Government.
We are now encouraged to note that the President of Pakistan, in a letter of May 3, to Secretary General U"Thant released by the UN on May, 12, has welcomed the Secretary General's offer to provide relief assistance to East Pakistan through the UN and its specialized agencies President Yahya I stated that, while adequate supplies are presently available, his Government is assessing its possible requirements for present and future international assistance.
We have also indicated that as soon as the local situation permits we are ready to resume rehabilitation projects in the cyclone disaster area along the East Pakistan coast where there is an especially urgent need for food supplies. For this purpose, we can draw on the $7.5 million allocation and over $100 million in US-owned Pakistani currency made available by Congress for rehabilitation projects. We can move forward with an agreement to provide a further 150,000 tons of food grains for rehabilitation in the cyclone disaster area. We have also held in readiness a further 170,000 tons of wheat, the balance from an earlier agreement for East Pakistan as a whole, to be shipped as soon as port and distribution facilities permit.
Large numbers of refugees have gone to India from East Pakistan. The Government of India has already requested international assistance and he sought bilateral assistance from several countries to supplement its own very considerable efforts to help the refugees. We have taken the lead in supporting the international relief effort which is being organized by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. We have been working closely with the World Food Program which will also be cooperating with the UN High Commissioner in the relief effort.
As soon as the refugee flow became substantial, we began a program of feeding the steadily growing number of refugees through US voluntary agencies in India. By the end of this week, we anticipate that CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Church World Service and the Lutheran World Federation will be Feeding as many as 300,000 refugees using PL-480 Title II food. For this and other relief purposes we have authorized up to $2.5 million in food and other assistance as our initial contribution to enable urgent relief activities to get under way while the international relief effort is being organized. A UNHCR team is currently in India assessing relief needs. We will consider what types of additional contributions we might make when this team has reported its findings.