Copyright 2001 Federal News Service, Inc.  
Federal News Service
November 1, 2001, Thursday
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING

LENGTH: 3289 words

HEADLINE: PANEL TWO OF A HEARING OF THE HOUSE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE
 
SUBJECT: AMERICA'S ASSISTANCE TO THE AFGHAN PEOPLE
 
CHAIRED BY: REPRESENTATIVE HENRY HYDE (R-IL)
 
PANEL II WITNESSES ANDREW NATSIOS, ADMINISTRATOR, U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT; ALAN KRECZKO, ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY, BUREAU OF POPULATION, REFUGEES MIGRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE; AND ANDREW WILDER, FIELD OFFICE DIRECTOR AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN, SAVE THE CHILDREN (VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE FROM ISLAMABAD)
 
LOCATION: 2172 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING

BODY:
REP. HYDE: Our second panel consists of Dr. Charles MacCormack. Dr. MacCormack is current president, CEO and a member of the board of directors of Save The Children Federation, a non-profit, private voluntary organization, which implements programs focusing primarily on health care, microenterprise and basic education. From 1977 to 1992, Dr. MacCormack was president of World Learning, an organization working to foster world peace through international education. He currently serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Executive Committee of Interaction, the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid, and the Food Security Advisory Committee. Mr. Delahunt has asked me to personally greet you. He unfortunately has another schedule he can't avoid, but he wants to apologize to you, and I'm happy to convey that message.

The other gentleman, the final member, Mr. Kenneth Bacon. He is president and CEO of Refugees International, which monitors conditions of refugees and displaced people around the world. Prior to his current position, he spent over seven years in the Department of Defense as assistant secretary for public affairs. He was a reporter with the Wall Street Journal for 25 years, concentrating on defense, economic, and international finance. It's an honor to welcome you gentlemen today. We do look forward to your insights. And we ask that you proceed with a five-minute summary of your written statements. Your complete statement will be made a part of the record. Mr. MacCormack, I understand you have submitted a statement for the record, and you consider Mr. Wilder's comments and statement on Save The Children to be sufficient. We thank you for your statement and, M. MacCormack, and for making Dr. Wilder available to us as a witness via the videoconference from Islamabad. And so Mr. Bacon.

MR. BACON: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. First, I want to thank you and the House International Relations Committee for holding this hearing on Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis. It comes at a very crucial moment.

REP. HYDE: Would you -- is your mike on?

MR. BACON: I think so. Can you hear that?

REP. HYDE: Now we hear.

MR. BACON: All right. I want to thank you and the committee for holding this hearing, which comes at a very crucial moment.

The U.S. is currently attacking terrorists and their protectors in Afghanistan, while moving to feed the Afghan people. But Taliban obstruction and the military campaign have slowed food deliveries, and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan will worsen without urgent and imaginative efforts to get more food to the Afghan people.

As you, Chairman Hyde, pointed out earlier, Afghanistan was one of the world's largest humanitarian crises -- a crisis of refugees and displacement well before the events of September 11th, 2001. Even before the current military campaign, conditions in Afghanistan were so bad, that 25 percent of Afghan children died before reaching the age of five, according to some estimates, and a woman dies in childbirth every 30 minutes.

Prior to September 11th, the United Nations World Food Program was providing daily rations to 3.8 million people, and was preparing to increase the number fed to a total of 5.5 million through the long winter season. Now the WFP estimates that it may have to supply food to as many as 7.5 million Afghans, including 1.5 million who could flee to neighboring countries in response to attacks against Afghanistan.

In the aftermath of those attacks on New York and Washington -- in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington, it became clear that the initial focus of U.S. military retaliation would be on Afghanistan. Refugees International, joined by many other humanitarian organizations, immediately began to press the administration to recognize two imperatives. First, the humanitarian imperative to continue to respond to the needs of the millions of vulnerable Afghans; and, two, the political imperative to ensure that the U.S. military response did not harm innocent civilians and thereby jeopardize the moral high ground that the United States has been able to maintain as the victim of terrorism.

RI applauds the administration's allocation of $320 million to respond to the humanitarian needs in Afghanistan. We consider this, however, just a down payment for what could be a larger relief obligation over time, followed by a rather ambitious program to help Afghanistan get back on its feet through economic reconstruction.

We were especially glad that $320 million pledge comes from the extraordinary $40 billion emergency fund approved by Congress, and does not therefore reduce U.S. funding for other humanitarian crises around the world.

The problem now is that the increased aid is not getting into Afghanistan fast enough. As a result, hunger and the diseases that go with it could increase dramatically this winter. In Islamabad last month, a UNICEF official estimated that 400,000 Afghan children could die this winter from preventable causes, up from an estimated 300,000 last year. The WFP says that it must deliver at least 196,000 metric tons of food to Afghanistan by the end of the year, or almost 3,500 metric tons a day. Currently it is delivering 2,000 metric tons a day. Although this is up sharply from several weeks ago, it still is not enough.

To boost food deliveries, Refugees International recommends the immediate establishment of humanitarian response zones inside Afghanistan. The proposed zones would be located initially in relatively secure areas in northern Afghanistan that have not been targets of U.S.-led bombing attacks and are close to large concentrations of vulnerable people. As Administrator Natsios said, 75 to 80 percent of the vulnerable people are in the northern part of the country. International staff of U.N. agencies and NGOs would work in the zones, overseeing the distribution of increased quantities of emergency assistance. The proposed zones would consist both of safe corridors to transport relief goods from the borders of Afghanistan, and internal logistical hubs where large quantities of relief supplies would be located for onward distribution either through commercial networks or networks established by international and local NGOs.

The opening of new delivery routes from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan is helping to boost food deliveries to the famine- stricken northern half of the country. For example, the WFP estimates that it will eventually be able to deliver up to 16,000 metric tons of food a month through Uzbekistan.

We also recommend the aggressive use of air transport, both airlift to functioning airports and air drops of food, by parachute when necessary, to get food to people otherwise in inaccessible areas.

WFP and other aid agencies are -- if they are not able to conduct air delivery, we recommend that military planes be used to head off starvation in remote areas. And I realize this recommendation differs from that of other humanitarian organizations, perhaps safe. But we think the needs are urgent enough to require unusual actions.

Food deliveries inside Afghanistan will save lives, and could also help prevent a refugee crisis on the borders of Pakistan, Iran, and other neighboring states. So far the refugee flow toward Pakistan and Iran has been lighter than expected, although the numbers are rising. It is important that neighboring countries provide refuge to those fleeing Afghanistan. Several thousand refugees on the Iranian border are being sheltered in encampments near the border, but just inside Afghanistan. Iran is permitting food and other relief shipments to the refugees, but it is not allowing the refugees to enter. It is imperative that these and other refugees from Afghanistan be permitted temporary asylum in Iran, Pakistan and other countries of the region in accordance with international humanitarian law. And the U.S. and other governments have been leaning on both Pakistan and Iran, and they should continue to do that to get them to open their borders.

The U.S. must do its part in another very important way as well. Following September 11th, the administration understandably instituted a review of the program to admit refugees into the U.S., and at the same time placed a hold on all refugee admissions. This has not applied to at least some categories of immigrants. Refugees International urges that, effective immediately, refugees already approved for admission to the U.S., and in life-threatening situations, be admitted without delay. Further, as soon as the current security review is completed, general refugee admissions should recommence. U.S. approval of a refugee for admission to the U.S. is a lengthy and intensive process. And perhaps the least effective method for a terrorist to try to enter the U.S. would be to go through this lengthy refugee admission process.

The crisis in Afghanistan is complex. The U.S. response involves military, economic, diplomatic, and humanitarian elements. A clear lesson from similar crises over the past decade is the importance of designating a Cabinet-level official to take charge of humanitarian issues. While all senior members of the U.S. team from the president on down are sensitive to humanitarian concerns, it is important to have one individual at the table who is responsible for the complex interplay among military, political, and humanitarian aspects of the operation, someone who would incidentally report to Congress on how these humanitarian issues are being handled across the government.

Recently, President Bush appointed coordinators for homeland defense and counterterrorism programs. He should do the same for humanitarian programs.

In conclusion, let me summarize my three points. The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan predates the September 11th attack against the United States. The international community, led by the U.S., has responded well and quickly to the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people. Nevertheless, much more needs to be done, and it must be done quickly to meet the Afghan people's need for food, shelter and medical supplies. And after the current crisis is over, the international community will face the challenge of helping to rebuild Afghanistan. Thank you.

REP. HYDE: Thank you very much, Mr. Bacon.

Mr. Bereuter.

REP. BEREUTER: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Gentlemen, thank you very much for your testimony. Mr. MacCormack, I'm pleased to see you representing Save The Children. My family and I have been small contributors to your organization for a very long time. Back when my two sons were very small, part of the contribution came from their own funds each year at Christmastime.

Gentlemen, as you know, we are beginning to have a public relations problem with respect to our war on terrorism. And one of the reasons perhaps is that the American public in particular does not seem to understand the degree of assistance we have been providing to Afghanistan for some period of time -- does not understand that we have intervened to save and assist Muslim populations against aggression in various parts of the world.

I am wondering what your organizations do to let people know about the assistance that comes from the American public and from the American taxpayer already. I understand that you think we ought to do more, and I agree with you. And so you might find it disadvantageous to be so forthright about what we are doing already. But I hope you'll think also about the responsibilities to keep the unity that we have, and that Americans do understand that we are not and have not been sitting idly by. I think they would be surprised for example to find that the American taxpayer has been doing more than the taxpayers of other countries for some period of time with respect to assistance to Afghanistan, and that we have for example quietly become the largest contributor of assistance to the starving people of North Korea. That has escaped public attention.

MR. BACON: Sir, I agree with you. We have stressed that in a number of articles that we have done on our Web sites, which is refugeesinternational.org. I did mention it in testimony to another body, but I was, in an effort to try to make the testimony somewhat different, I didn't repeat the point this time around. I agree with you we should all in the humanitarian community stress this more, because it's a very important point.

MR. MACCORMACK: First, I'd like to thank you and your children for your support. You a re in fact part of 400,000 Americans who send a check to Save The Children every year to help children around the world. We receive about half of our $175 million a year budget from private citizens, and about half from the U.S. government. The partnership is very close, and we make every effort to let the American people know that their tax dollars are saving children's lives around the world through the kind of work you have just alluded to.

REP. BEREUTER: Thank you very much. Gentlemen, I'd like to know what you think we might do now to supplement the kind of food assistance that we are providing under emergency conditions to make sure that the nutritional value -- the kind of vitamins and other nutrients that people need, given the kind of food that they -- limited amount of food that they have available to them -- would necessitate. What -- how should our programs be improved from a nutritional basis?

MR. MACCORMACK: I might start with two comments. A great deal of our food support is in the form of beans and lentils and oils, precisely to see that there is a more balanced diet. Administrator Natsios mentioned the vitamin C supplementation we do in order to deal with scurvy. So our entire nutrition program is designed to see that there is a well balanced package of food that is made available.

In addition to the food, I would reemphasize the point that Andrew Natsios made, that more children will die this winter from diarrhea and respiratory infections than from malnutrition. So to see that vital medicines -- antibiotics, oral rehydration salts -- are provided to Afghan children is on the one hand more doable, but equally urgent to the provision of food aid.

REP. BEREUTER: Perhaps both of you heard my comments earlier to -- questions and comments to Administrator Natsios with respect to his views in reactions to what Dr. Starr had said to a congressional breakfast under the auspices of the Aspen Institute, and that is that we need to help them resume agricultural production, even if it's subsistence agriculture, as quickly as possible. But the basic elements are now for such a type of production are destroyed. They've used the seed. The irrigation systems, crude as they were, often cases destroyed. The livestock has been decimated. What are your thoughts about the kinds of assistance we need to provide after the emergency relief efforts are considered and put in place?

MR. BACON: Well, I know that Administrator Natsios has focused a lot on seeds, and making sure that we have the right seeds in our stockpile to get to the people of Afghanistan. As he pointed out, we did miss the winter planting season, the October planting season. It will be very important.

We hope the political circumstances are different in the spring, and that we won't face the obstructionist policies of the Taliban then. It will be very important to preposition a lot of seeds that could be planted as soon as possible after the winter thaws.

In addition, there was mention made earlier of micro credit programs, particularly to help villages buy and nurture animals. It will be very important -- and to also bring in the proper agricultural equipment. I would -- there are many NGOs, non-governmental organizations, that specialize in water project irrigation -- many of them European. I would anticipate that they also would be involved in efforts to rebuild agricultural capacity.

REP. HYDE: The gentleman's time has expired.

The gentle lady from California with the fascinating earrings.

REP. WATSON(?): My patriotism. Either one of you: What evidence do you have that the packages of the food that we are dropping, A, is getting to the targets? And I understand that the Taliban is moving its forces into residential areas near schools and so on -- maybe prohibiting the targeted groups from receiving it. And, then finally, we're kind of stirring up a little concern among Americans that we are harming innocent children in our bombing crusade. Can you comment on the political side of the end? ? And I do want to know if you have guarantees that food is actually getting to the targeted group.

MR. MACCORMACK: Well, at Save The Children we have been providing food to hundreds of thousands of people in northern Afghanistan for a decade.

REP. WATSON(?): But I mean since September 11th.

MR. MACCORMACK: Well, since we started -- the reason I'm -- and we have established relationships with reliable people at the village level, and therefore we have been able to assure ourselves, and we can assure you that food is getting through to the people who most need it.

Secondly, as was said, 300,000 Afghan children died last year. Large numbers are going to die this winter. Although the bombing is regrettable, they have much more serious problems, the children of Afghanistan, than the bombing. They really need the food and the medicines that the American people are providing even more.

MR. BACON: To the extent you were asking about the air drops, these yellow packages that come down, there have certainly been a number of pictures printed in the press and on TV of people collecting these yellow packages. So I have to assume they are landing near where people can get at them. There have been reports on people's reactions to peanut butter and jelly and other things that are in there. So I gather from those that they are reaching the people.

I think it's important to go back to what Administrator Natsios said, that these are being dropped in fairly inaccessible areas. They are not being dropped in cities. So they are going into areas where they may be under Taliban control, but there aren't a lot of people around there. The Taliban tend to be more in cities, as I understand it.

So I think they are having an impact, but they only comprise 0.5 percent of the food needs of the country. In a country of hungry people, anywhere you drop food it will land near somebody who needs it. But the real answer to the food crisis is overland transportation.

REP. WATSON (?) : It was said earlier that the better strategy would be to drop the food outside of the boundaries of Afghanistan. People then could go over into other areas and get it. And I'm just wondering how do you set that up. You can't use a radio -- how do you communicate with people. I know word of mouth -- but you have got these long expanses of land. How do they actually know if they go over across that border there might be a reward waiting for them?

MR. BACON: Maybe Mr. MacCormack should respond to this, but there has been hunger in Afghanistan for a long while, and the Afghans -- the Afghan people seem to know where to find if it's around. They figure out a way to get there.

REP. HYDE: The gentle lady's time has not expired, but in the grand scheme of things it has. (Laughter.) We have a vote on the floor -- we have two votes, the previous question I think and the rule. So we will adjourn this meeting with our profound thanks to Mr. Bacon and Mr. MacCormack for again very insightful, helpful, effective testimony of one of the burning issues of our time. Thank you very much.

MR. BACON: Thank you.

END

LOAD-DATE: November 2, 2001