Relief agencies urge help save Mozambique

War-torn Mozambique, where South Africabacked guerrillas have forced nearly two million people off their lands, may become the site of another Ethiopia-like tragedy. Britain's relief agencies are launching multiple appeals for our help in assisting the African nation. Cristina Odone reports on the war on want that is being waged by development agencies in this country.
OVER A_ quarter of the population in Mozambique faces starvation and destitution. As the South Africa-backed rebels esca late their attacks in the war-torn African nation, major development agencies in Britain are 'undertaking full scale emergency relief operations to assist the people of Mozambique.
Save the Children and Oxfam launched a £3 million appeal yesterday, which will bring food, grain, seeds and cloth to one of the worst-hit provinces in Mozambique, Zambizia. The co-ordinated appeal follows close upon the heels of Cafod's programme of relief assistance, which began in October; and Christian Aid's December appeal, which raised £100,000.
The four relief agencies are directing their efforts in different geographical areas, with Cafod concentrating its efforts in Sofala and Manica, while Christian Aid is to focus its assistance on four provinces Gaza, Maputo, Inhambane, Tete.
The immediate problem facing all planned assistance in the war-torn country is transportation. Cafod's distribution of its supplies was halted until this week because of military activity along the corridor linking Mozambique with Zimbabwe, where supplies are stored.
Christian Aid representative Tom Minney told the Catholic Herald that army trucks often need to accompany relief convoys, and many of the supplies have to be air-lifted for fear of rebel attacks.
The South African-supported guerrillas, the Mozambique National Resistance, which have been leading attacks against villages throughout the country since the Marxist Government came to power in the '70's are also the reason for the waves of refugees who have had to leave their lands because of attacks in their area. Over one and a half million people in Mozambique have been displaced by the fighting.
In Zambizia alone according to Oxfam spokesman John Magrath, one quarter of a million people have been forced to seek refuge in the capital, Kuelimane, or in the refugee camps in neighbouring countries.
Cafod's Project Officer, Clare Dixon, who visited Mozambique last year, told the Catholic Herald that until South Africa stops its support of the rebel forces, "relief programmes are hampered by the severe breakdown of internal communications." Ms Dixon went on to predict that "Mozambique is on the brink of a crisis that could even surpass Ethiopia in its magnitude."
At yesterday's launch for the Save the Children-Oxfam joint appeal, Save the Children's Director, Nicholas Hinton urged the British public not to "wait for famine to strike". The launch took place two days after ITN's One O'Clock news programme featured a four minute report on Mozambique.
The ambitious £3 million target will be reached through support from a variety of sources, Oxfam's John Magrath told the Catholic Herald. One million pounds have already been pledged by the Government's Overseas Development Administration, and the EEC and Oxfam America have both promised assistance towards the coordinated effort. "But the bulk of the money" Mr Magrath stressed "will have to come from the public." Local offices of both organisations will be
mounting their own fund-raising campaigns.
All relief programmes are being worked out in conjunction with the Mozambique government's Department of Disasters, which runs its own relief projects throughout the country's ten provinces. Both Department officials and onthe-spot agency workers will be monitoring the distribution of the supplies as they reach Mozambique by air and ship.
"The irony of it is that Mozambique, unlike Sudan or Ethiopia, is a fertile country", said Save the Children spokesman Chris Thornton. "But because farmers have been forced from their lands by the guerrilla raids, the nation's economy is in serious decline."
All agency spokesmen agree that their relief operations will take months of distribution and transportation before supplies can reach destination. Cafod, which has been forced to halt its operations over a three month period because of rebel attacks, aims to complete its distribution in three stages, by the spring.
At Oxfam and Save the Children, a similar delay in distribution is expected, although spokesmen for Oxfam pointed out that the present situation in Mozambique is less tense than before Christmas. John Magrath predicted that within "the next few months" the majority of the relief assistance will have reached the needy.
"Different geographical areas offer different problems, and a varing degree of difficulty and danger in terms of transportation" admitted Christian Aid's Tom Minney, who is due to arrive in Mozambique by the end of this month. "The voice goes cycles we've been involved relief work in Mozambique sir 1982, and we have witness different phases of success everything depends on t; rebels' moves."
Christian Aid, which works conjunction with tl predominantly Anglici Christian Council Mozambique, has establishe as have the other organisatio as well as WHO and Unice long.-term programmes health, education and chi welfare. The Christian Coun highlighted the plight of country in an annu‘, consultation held in Nairobi k November. "The council serve a pivotal role, linking th Government, with which i enjoys good relations, and tin relief agencies such as ours' explains Mr Minney.