FOOD DESPERATELY SHORT IN BIHAC

SARAJEVO, Feb 7 (Hina) - "The humanitarian situation in the Bihac enclave is on the verge of catastrophe," Bihac District Mayor Hamdija Kabiljagic today told the Sarajevo daily "Oslobodjenje". "Forty-seven people, mostly children, have died of starvation in the past two months," he said. The town's hospital reported a shortage of food and medicines. The reserves were insufficient to meet the needs of about 2,000 patients. UNHCR spokesman in Sarajevo, Chris Janowski, confirmed that "food was desperately short in the Bihac enclave" but said there was no evidence that people were dying of starvation. "In January, the UNHCR only managed to send in six convoys with 300 tonnes of food. The enclave needed at least 2,000 tonnes per month," Janowski said. Moslem forces loyal to local tycoon Fikret Abdic were hampering regular aid deliveries by demanding half of all cargo crossing through territory under their control in the north of the enclave, in Velika Kladusa. The UNHCR was trying to use alternative routes through UN Protected Areas North but Knin Serbs often refused to grant clearance. UN spokesman in Sarajevo, Alexander Ivanko, said Abdic's troops, backed by Knin Serb forces, yesterday attempted an infantry advance on Bosnian army positions south of Velika Kladusa, but were repelled. Intermittent fighting was also reported around Bosanska Krupa, but the front lines remained stable, Ivanko said. (hina) as 071426 MET feb 95