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problems there can be no final answer to the miseries which

have befallen so many people in South-East Asia. In this

Committee, however, we are concerned first and foremost with

the humanitarian aspects. The first necessity is to provide food

for the hungry, medical care for the sick and shelter for the

refugees. Some progress has already been achieved so far as the

refugee situation is concerned. The Secretary-General indicated

in his introduction on Monday, that the issue of orderly depart-

ure from Vietnam may be coming under control. We hope that this

situation will be maintained. We have noted that efforts directed

towards establishing the regularity of movement of refugees and

accelerating its rate are being actively pursued with a number of

governments of receiving countries as well as with the Government

of Vietnam. We are concerned, however, that despite recent improve-

ments in regard to departure from the places of first asylum, it

may require more than two years, in the view of the Secretary-General,

to get through the backlog of cases. Further efforts are required

to deal with the severe difficulties faced by places of first

asylum in the larger region, including Hong Kong.

In Kampuchea, there is a human tragedy which is continuing

despite the efforts of the international community to bring it to

an end. A number of international agencies have taken practical,

on-the-spot action to relieve distress; and the work of UNICEF, WFP,

and ICRC among others deserves our fullest support.

As of today, the European Community and its Member States have

contributed or pledged more than 66 million dollars for relief