TNAG-1066-FCO40-1316-Human-rights-in-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 156

E/CN.4/1503 Annex I page 13

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1974 CYPRUS (THE REPUBLIC OF)

40.

The short-lived peace in Cyprus after years of power struggles ended in July 1974 with a coup d'état on the 15th launched by elements of the Cypriot national army, with the support of the mainland Greek military government. President Makarios was forced to flee and heavy fighting broke out among the Greek-Cypriot factions, shortly after which the Turkish Government, citing its obligations under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, launched military operations along the north coast of Cyprus. Though the coup soon collapsed and a cease-fire was achieved, in August, following the breakdown of talks in Geneva, the Turkish armed forces launched another offensive which resulted in their occupying almost 40 per cent of the island. One of the most tragic aspects of these events was the massive displacement of people, mainly Greek-Cypriots from territory occupied by the Turkish troops.

41.

some Those diplaced from the north were

164 000 Greek- Cypriots, but in addition there was the problem of about 20 000 Greek-Cypriots in the Turkish zone who did not or could not leave, and some 8 000 Turkish-Cypriots found to be homeless. In the south, some 34 000 Turkish-Cypriots were in need of relief and protection. There were therefore over 220 000 people requiring international assistance, out of a population of under seven hundred thousand - in other words, almost a third of the total population of the country. Many villages, isolated in territory under the control of the other community, became helpless enclaves depending for their survival upon help from outside. Old people who had seldom, if ever left their homes in their lifetime often had remained behind in what at first appeared to be abandoned villages.

42.

The Government of Cyprus, though facing a shattered economy, immediately mounted a vast relief operation, and assistance began to arrive from the outside world. It was apparent that а concerted and co-ordinated relief effort was required, and on 20 August the Secretary-General appointed the UN High Commissioner for Refugees as UN Co-ordinator of Humani- tarian Assistance to Cyprus. To finance the programme, Secretary-General and the High Commissioner, who had personally assessed the situation in the field, appealed for $ 22 million to cover the needs to the end of the year. Responses in cash and in kind came from governments, the EEC and many other sources, and were channelled especially through the ICRC, involved from the start to ensure respect by the parties to the conflict for the fundamental principles of humanitarian law,

initial relief action.

UNICEF, besides

and to mount an