Speech #1010065549

To achieve these goals. we will support projects to clear mines. improve transportation capacity. supply fertilizer and seed. and provide essential commodities. A key element of our strategy is and will remain to reduce narcotics production. As we work toward repatriation. the international community must still provide adequate resources for the care and maintenance of the refugees in place. A total of 3.2 million Afghan refugees live in approximately 230 camps in Pakistan. Contrary to what we had all hoped. they have not yet gone home. Indeed. an additional 70.000 refugees have fled to Pakistan in recent months. primarily to escape fighting around Jalalabad. In the current fiscal year. the U.S. is contributing $20.5 million for care and maintenance programs. $5 million for ICRCs emergency medical program and $2.5 million for the UN trust fund. We have also donated $35 million in food assistance for Afghans to the World Food Program. The United Nations has done an excellent Job of mobilizing resources for the refugee camps in Pakistan. However. much work remains to be done on building the capacity to support the eventual repatriation of the refugees. The UN Coordinator for Afghanistan mobilized contributions of nearly $900 million from 30 donor countries in FY49. Although this figure is exaggerated by valuing the $600 million inkind Soviet pledge at the official exchange rate. We are working with the UN system on the ground in Pakistan to help the UN get ready to use these resources for repatriation and reconstruction. Regarding the return of the refugees. I regret to inform that my personal conversations with refugees in Pakistan produced the uniform answer: the great bulk will not return until the Communist regime in Kabul is gone. To date. only a very small percentage have returned. others have arrived from areas of continuing conflict in Afghanistan to replace them. My own Judgment is that the great bulk of the refugees will return only when the PDPA relinquishes power. through a political settlement or otherwise. Mr. Chairman. you have asked that I describe U.S. policy. The United States has pursued four consistent goals on Afghanistan since the Soviets commenced their brutual occupation in December 1979: Withdrawal of Soviet forces. Selfdetermination for the Afghan people. Return of the refugees in safety and honor. and Restoration of Afghanistans sovereignty and independence. The first goalSoviet withdrawalhas been accomplished. The Afghans them. selves won the victory.