YAHYA WILLING TO RECEIVE UN AID
Pakistan Monday made its first positive response to United Nations Secretary General U. Thant’s offer of aid for the population of East Pakistan through U.N. agencies.
Pesident Yahya Khan’s economic affairs adviser, Muzaffar ahmed, called on U. Thant at U.N. headquarters and informed him that Pakistani officials had estimated a two million ton food gap for the year July, 1971, to June, 1972.
He also told the Secretary-General that about 30 coaster’s with a cargo capacity of from 500 to 1,000 tons and a number of barges were needed to carry food into tne interior of East Pakistan where it is most needed.
Ahmed told a press confernce in New York after his meeting with U Thant that Pakistan had suggested that exports from the U.N. and from a number of countries, who left East Pakistan during the fighting between the Pakistani Army and Bengali separatists could resume their work in the country from June I, Ahmed said present food stocks in East Pakistan should be sufficient for three to four months.
There after a great deal depend on the size of the year’s two remaining rice crops.
The two U.N. agencies which would be most concerned with the aid he had requested from U. Thant would be the world food programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Ahmed said.
Yahya’s Statement
He was asked about a statement by President Yahya in a letter to U Thant at the end of April that international assistance if required, would be administered by Pakistan’s own relief agencies.
Ahmed replied : “It is co-opeative. We will sit down with the U.N. experts and work out the arrangements necessary to implement this international programme.”
“I think we will prepare a plan and use our own distribution machinery, but U.N. experts will be available to assist us in these operations”.
The Pakistan Government had already made inquiries in Holland and in the Far East about obtaining coasters and barges.
Ahmed said the aid being requested from UNICEF would be mostly for milk and other commodities of that kind.
The major problem would be the distribution of food and other goods on account of “some dislocation of the communications system” in East Pakistan, he added.Reuter.
Reference : The Djakarta Times, 19.05.1971