পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৮০৬

778 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ জেনেভায় শরণার্থী বিষয়ক হাইকমিশনার প্রিন্স জাতিসংঘ ডকুমেন্টস ১৩ অক্টোবর, ১৯৭১ সদরুদ্দীন আগা খানের সাংবাদিক সম্মেলন PRESS CONFERENCE HELD BY PRINCE SADRUDE)HN AGHA KHAN U.N.H.C.R., INGENEVA October 13,1971 The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Prince Sadruddin Agha Khan, accompanied by Mr. Thomas Jamieson, Chief of the Focal Point operations in New Delhi, held a press conference at the Palais Des Nations in Geneva on October 13, regarding the activities of his office as the Focal Point of United Nations assistance to East Pakistani refugees. He said that he had to make a strong and urgent appeal to the international community for urgent and substantial contributions essentially from Governments, since the inflow of cash and kind had tended to dry up during the last few weeks. "We have to fight against apathy which is beginning to set in," he stated. For the last fortnight, there had been no new funds to make allocations for purchasing much needed commodities. All the goods were now in the pipeline, but if no further contributions were received there would be a risk of a gap in supplies in two months' time and "the situation might become extremely dramatic." The last allocation made from funds available had been used for the first purchasing order for clothing and blankets to the value of dollars 4,800,000 to the UNICEF and dollars 480,000 to the Government of India for the purchase of straw matS. All Governments were now being given detailed information supplied by the Government of India concerning future needs. Dollars 558 million was the total amount estimated to assist 8 million refugees in camps for six months. The High Commissioner stressed the impact on India's economy, of the Government having to devote energy, time and goods to relief work. He hoped that Governments would realize the value of assisting the relief work, which, from a humane point of view, was urgent but was also an element of reducing tensions in the area. He insisted on the fact that relief by itself was not a solution, underlined the stand-points of both the Indian and Pakistani Governments that the solution was voluntary repatriation, and said that the UNHCR was available to assist this voluntary repatriation in every possible way. He referred to the presence of UNHCR officers in East Pakistan as part of the UNHCR's function to help returnees. The High Commissioner then outlined the various ways in which nations could help. It was particularly important that substantial cash contributions are made, as this afforded