Speech #980046490

to which we are the largest donor ($8.2 million in fiscal year 1982 for Latin America). in addition to providing relief assistance and protection. plans to emphasize selfhelp programs in Central America. Agricultural programs. marketing programs. educational and medical programs of a selfhelp nature are being developed. and rural sites have been selected in Honduras for agricultural programs. Refugees will be transferred from larger camps to smaller ones so that they can more easily grow crops for their own use and for marketing. Assistance by Neighboring Countries to Refugees The Governments of Honduras. Costa Rica. Nicaragua and Mexico honor the Latin American tradition of granting asylum and have cooperated with the UNHCR in assisting refugees from both El Salvador and Guatemala. The UNHCR has extensive programs in Honduras and Costa Rica. Programs in Mexico and Nicaragua need further development. and the UNHCR is giving priority attention to them. About 30.000 Guatemalans. mainly people of Indian descent. have entered Mexico in the last year. They are concentrated in areas along the MexicanGuatemalan border. The Government of Mexico. with assistance from the UNHCR. is assisting these refugees who are fleeing violence in their native villages and hamlets. Many of the areas were controlled by guerrillas as little as a year ago. Fighting broke out when the Guatemalan Army attempted to regain control of the areas. and the villagers fled. Costa Rican authorities have confirmed their intention of transferring to reception centers away from border areas all Nicaraguans seeking refugee status and assistance. Suitable reception sites are being sought on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and in the central part of the country. An initial group of Nicaraguans has been transferred to Santa Rosa De Cutris where assistance is being provided with UNHCR funds that we advanced. The Costa Rican government plans to move refugees on to settlements or into other incomegenerating activities after an initial stay in reception centers. In Honduras. the UNHCR is coordinating assistance to a refugee population of over 35.000 persons which includes 16.000 to 20.000 Salvadorans and about the same number from Nicaragua. including Miskito Indians. The Government of Honduras has been extremely forthcoming in providing refuge to people fleeing turmoil in the region. They have extended their hospitality even to those fleeing democratic governments who might be ideologically opposed to the present government of Honduras. The UNHCR has revised its budget for Honduras upward from $5.3 million to $12.7 million for this year due to the increase in refugee activity in that country. Monitoring by Department of State The Department of State is monitoring the refugee situation in Central America closely. Officers of various bureaus within the Department have been and will continue to travel to the area as part of our systematic process of reviewing refugee relief programs in the area.