STATEMENT OF ICRC ON RELIEF ASSISTANCE TO BOSNIAN CROATS

ZAGREB, Nov 5 (Hina) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is delivering humanitarian aid to the Bosnian Croats, said a statement of the ICRC issued in Zagreb on Thursday evening. "Heavy fighting between the Bosnian governmental army and the Bosnian Croats forces has been ravaging the area around Vares (Central Bosnia) for several days. Thousands of Bosnian Croats are presently fleeing to safer areas. Nearly 2,000 have reportedly arrived in the town of Sokolac (north-east of Sarajevo). Delegates from the ICRC are currently on their way to Sokolac bringing in food parcels, ready-to-eat meals, wheat flour, blankets, winter clothes and mattresses. Also today, delegates from the ICRC Zenica assessed the situation in Breza (south-east of Vares) where hundreds of displaced Bosnian Croats have taken refuge. Emergency relief (food parcels, wheat flour and blankets) has already been distributed on 1 and 2 November to the displaced Bosnian Croats in Breza. An influx of refugees is expected to arrive in Capljina in the coming days, where the ICRC has already delivered 5,000 individual food parcels and will deliver 10,000 blankets tomorrow in order to prepare for their reception. Tomorrow (on the 5th of November), the ICRC will transport emergency relief supplies (food and blankets) from Zenica to Ilidza where 10,000 displaced Bosnian Croats have reportedly arrived and to Kiseljak to where a further two tousand have fled. ICRC delegates have not been able to enter the town of Vares and its surroundings today owing to the security situation and on-going fighting. The ICRC appeals once more to both the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Bosnian Croat authorities to respect their agreed obligations under International Humanitarian Law and, in particular, to spare the civilian population," concluded the statement of the ICRC published in Zagreb on Thursday. (End) mm 050729 MET nov 93