Need for humanitarian funding to consolidate peace

UNHCR on Monday again drew attention to disparities between the level of humanitarian assistance to Kosovo and other emergency situations. Ogata said proximity, strategic interests and media coverage had combined to make Kosovo "the focus of unprecedented political attention and material support by the international community", but that had not been the case in other situations, including the Great Lakes where "funding was crucial to the consolidation of peace". She said it was imperative that the Lusaka agreement receive clear and strong international support but that, meanwhile, "humanitarian assistance was needed, not only to bring relief to hundreds of thousands of people, but to contribute to the peace process" by helping to stabilise the sub-region.