TNAG-0892-FCO40-1102-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 169

E/1979/95 page 32

UNHCR assistance of an emergency nature pending durable solutions. Assistance was made available through the Government Co-ordinating Committee specially established for this purpose. Some 10,000 refugees in Honduras received UNHCR assistance measures including the provision of food, medicines, clothing, sleeping mats and cooking utensils. UNHCR aid was also provided for the building of temporary shelter. All assistance was channelled through the Honduran Red Cross in co-ordination with. the Government. In Panama, the 500 Nicaraguan refugees received UNHCR assistance tovards their care and maintenance, help which was extended through the Panamanian Government. A few other countries in northern Latin America also received Nicaraguan refugees, some of whom required assistance,

163. 'As regards other refugees in the area, UNHCR assistance was directed at promoting durable solutions where possible while extending care and maintenance, counselling and legal services in the interim.

164. Expenditure under General Programmes for assistance in northern Latin America totalled some $1,030,200 for 1978. This included $150,000 for emergency assistance and $580,000 for multipurpose assistance to Nicaraguan refugees.

North-Western South America

Peru

165. By the end of 1978, fewer than 83 Latin American refugees were still awaiting resettlement opportunities in Peru. It is to be recalled that refugees in Peru are accepted in transit only and that consequently some 3,000 persons have been resettled under UNHCR auspices since September 1973..

166. Care and maintenance as well as appropriate language and basic educational training were again administered through the "Comision Ecumenia de Accion Social".

167. Due to the marked reduction in the caseload in the country during recent years expenditures were considerably reduced. Total outlay of funds amounted to some $277,300, of which more than $92,800 were obligated for supplementary aid. '

Other countries in North-Western South America

168. There were approximately 21,000 refugees of concern to UNHCR in various other countries in North-Western South America at the end of 1978. Of these some 7,000 were Latin American refugees and 14,000 of European origin.

169. A number of Latin American refugees were able to benefit from long-term integration measures as well as resettlement opportunities. Care and maintenance were provided to them pending durable. solutions. The population of mainly elderly European refugees also benefited from a variety of assistance measures.

170. Total expenditure for the year in these countries amounted to some $145,000.