UNHCR CUTS RELIEF AID TO UNPAS - COMPREHENSIVE VERSION

ZAGREB, March 9 (Hina) - The UN High Commissioner for Refugees today decided to cut relief aid to UN Protected Areas in Croatia because rebel Serb leaders and their Moslem allies in Velika Kladusa were obstructing shipments to western Bosnia. According to UNHCR spokesperson in Zagreb, Alemka Lisinski, an UNHCR representative today today travelled to Knin to officially inform rebel leader Milan Martic of this decision. "The UNHCR has no other choice but to discontinue relief shipments to the UN Protected Areas in Croatia and Velika Kladusa," said a letter the official handed to Martic. Aid will be suspended until the "UNHCR is allowed regular access to the Bihac pocket, particularly via the Licko Petrovo Selo route (controlled by Bosnian Serbs)," the letter said. Lisinski emphasised that UNHCR's intention was not to introduce reprisals against the population in the UNPAs. But it was unacceptable to send regular aid shipments to an area where authorities obstructed aid deliveries to a neighbouring area, she said. Knin authorities have been systematically obstructing UNHCR convoys to the Bihac pocket since May 1994. On top of all this came troubles with Moslem warlord Fikret Abdic, whose troops got busy waylaying convoys, extorting a high percentage of the aid, and contriving bureaucratic obstacles, in January this year. "Since May 1994, only 20 percent of the necessary food has reached the Bihac area," Lisinski said at headquarters in Zagreb, adding that the main UNHCR warehouse in Cazin was now quite empty. The UNHCR won't accept any palliative actions on the part of Knin and Velika Kladusa rebels, but will demand and expect the regular and unimpeded passage of all relief convoys, Lisinski concluded. (hina) mm as 091322 MET mar 95