Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
Tanzania is being seriously disrupted by torrential storms. Large parts of Tanzania are cut off and many people are starving as a result. No comprehensive survey of the problem has yet been made as it is impossible to reach the affected regions by road.
During the leaders summit which took place in Kampala, Uganda, last week, Deputy President Mbeki was approached by President Mkapa with a request for emergency aid. After further consultations with President Mandela and the Department of foreign Affairs, South Africa responded favourably to the request and SANDF personnel, equipped with helicopters, left for Dar-Es-Salaam today.
The helicopters will make an invaluable contribution to the task of delivering much needed medical supplies to the people of Tanzania. This follows the consignment of emergency building supplies and medicines which were delivered to Tanzania last week.
In an additional flight, which also left today, the Department of foreign Affairs will hand approximately 7,5 tons of textiles (mostly clothing), to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, in Rwanda. This consignment forms part of stocks of confiscated textiles under the control of the SA Revenue Service (Customs and Excise).
The clothing will be distributed, in the first instance, among the approximately 150 families in the Nelson Mandela Peace Village near Kigali. This is the first of several villages which are being established by the Government of Rwanda in order to create new family structures in a situation where there are many widows and orphans who survived the tragic events in Rwanda.
The Department of Foreign Affairs wishes to express its gratitude to members of civil society who have collected additional items of clothing for the residents of the Village. these will be included in the consignment.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA 27 JANUARY 1998