পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৮০৭

এই পাতাটির মুদ্রণ সংশোধন করা প্রয়োজন।

779 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড great flexibility in the acquisition of commodities. Quite a few of these could be found in India itself. Furthermore, the Focal Point would be able, through the UNICEF, the World Food Programme, and the World Health Organisation to purchase throughout the world, on the most economic terms, goods needed by the Indian Government to assist the refugees. Regarding the immensity of task, it was necessary to mobilize public opinion and appeal to all voluntary organizations to co-operate. The League of Red Cross Societies was already closely associated with the work of the Focal Point. It was already giving logistical support to the Indian Red Cross. Mr. Jamieson said that the Government of India had made arrangement whereby voluntary organizations established in India could associate themselves with the relief work, and that there were regular joint meetings with them and the Indian Red Cross and the Government of India representatives in Calcutta. The High Commissioner explained that the Government of India had advised him that there was no need for helpers from abroad as enough qualified personnel had come forward from India. The UNHCR, as the Focal Point, was ready, as in the past, to transfer to India donations from the private sector. Both the High Commissioner and Mr. Jamieson explained the working of the Focal Point in Geneva as the coordinator of United Nations action and, in India, as the link with the Government of India and the United Nations Agencies. The ad hoc arrangements worked smoothly. In reply to questions, it was stated that, of dollars 115 million contributed to the Focal Point, dollars 11.7 million in cash had been transmitted to the Government of India, dollars 24.5 million worth of goods had been delivered, and the rest were on the high seas, being loaded or brought, and would all be delivered before the end of the year, As for future requirements, attention was drawn to priority items such as clothing and blankets for 6.5 million adults and 2 million children to the amount of dollars 15.5 million. In this connection, the High Commissioner mentioned that he had just been informed by the Netherlands Committee for Aid to Refugees that they had allotted dollars 1,929,000 for purchasing clothing of 600,000 adults and 300,000 children in the Northern part of West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya. In addition to clothing, shelter material for 4 million persons was needed on the priority list in an amount of dollars 43 million, as was the support to be given to "Operation Lifeline," which required some 92,500 metric tons of protein rich food,