Speech #960338135

I think it is important that we take a lead in helping to sustain these reconstruction efforts. and do what we can to help alleviate the human suffering which has come about as a result of this tragedy. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. I also support the report language accompanying the continuing resolution to set aside at least $69 million to meet the medical. nutritional. and other needs of African refugees. At present. there are over 2 million refugees in Africa. most of them in the Somalia region of East Africa. Among the estimated 1.300.000 refugees in the Somalia region. a famine situation has developed which is having horrible consequences in death and starvation. Ninety percent of the refugees in the Somalia region are women and children. Malnutrition has become rampant and disease is widespread with over half the refugees afflicted with glandular disease and tuberculosis. Due to the lack of safe drinking water and sanitary facilities. epidemics such as cholera are imminent. As I speak. 300 Somalian refugees are dying each day. What is desperately needed now are shipments of food and medicines. including the implementation of an immunization program. This money-$69 millionis the minimum required to alleviate the situation and will go a long way toward meeting the food and medical needs of the refugees in the Somalia region. When regulgr appropriation bills are brought to the floor. Members can rightly expect to know and debate the totals and individual amounts in the bill for budget authority and outlays. and the comparison of those sums with the Presidents requests. the levels of the previous year. and the current congressional targets or ceilings.