Speech #960168225

But as the international community attempts to marshal its resources to deal with the crisis in Cambodia. we and other countries must also be mindful of other humanitarian emergencies that are equally pressing. but are less visible and largely neglected. Last week I spoke of one such crisis on the tiny island of East Timorwhere many month3 of civil war and bloody repression have combined to produce famine conditions as severe as those in Cambodia today. Another area facing an equally serious humanitarian crisis. but which has received little attention or concern by the international communityis in Somalia. where the escalating fighting in the Ogaden has produced a massive new tide of refugees. Yesterday. the plight of the some 360.000 Somalian refugees was graphically reported by Dr. Kevin Cahill. chief health adviser to Gov. Hugh Carey of New York. and an expert on Somalia. I know of Dr. Cahills deep concern from an earlier report he prepared on the 1975 drought and famine in Somalia. which was extraordinarily helpful to my Refugee Subcommittee in focusing attention on that grave humanitarian emergency. But his report today on Somalia is even more desperate in its findings. and more compelling in its plea for help. Hopefully. through such efforts as his. and those of the voluntary agencies. the Somalian refugee problem will receive the attention it deserves. I am encouraged that a special U.N. Commissioner for Refugees team. headed by the Deputy High Commissioner Dale deHaan. is now traveling to the region to report on what more the international community can and must do to help the Somalian Government cope with an escalating flow of refugees. Mr. President. I stand ready. as I know many of my colleagues do. in supporting efforts to bring peace and relief to tens of thousands of Somalian refugees. and to support the anticipated appeal of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. But it is time we focus attention on what more our Government needs to do if a tragedy similar to Cambodiaperhaps worse than Cambodiais to be avoided in Somalia. I commend Dr.