Following hearings I held as chairman of the Judiciary Committee on July 26. receiving testimony from Secretary of State Vance. it became clear that unless immediate relief efforts were undertaken by the international community. some 2.5 million Cambodians would face severe starvation. More recent estimates place the figure as high as 3.5 million people. A report I received last week from American officials in the field. along the Thai border. suggests that over 200 Khmer refugees are dying every single day in just 5 camps they were able to observe along the border. The report finds that perhaps as many as 200.000 hungry Khmer civilians are now pressed up against the Thai border in search of food and safety. Tens of thousands are not far behind. The report notes "the physical condition of newly arrived refugees over the past few days was among the worst we have witnessed. Assuming that only the strongest are able to make the trek into Thai territory. it appears that those still inside Cambodia are reaching the point where it is no longer possible for them to survive." Other observers who have visited Cambodia. including delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross and voluntary agency representatives. paint a picture of an entire country on the move in search of food. They report the roads are filled with villagers wandering without direction. in the vain hope of finding some food.
Keywords matched
refugees