A "catastrophic humanitarian situation" exists in the Tuzla region, according to the Bosnian city's mayor, Selim Beslagic. United Nations aid for refugees has been only 19% of what is needed, and the city is regularly shelled by surrounding Serb forces.
In letters dated January 12 and 13, distributed on Pegasus and other electronic mail systems, Beslagic reports that only "4.4 kilograms of food articles have been distributed per person, and this includes 3.5 kilograms of flour. It should be kept in mind that this distribution refers solely to the expelled persons (refugees), because the UNHCR is supplying only this section of the population, while the other sections of the population do not receive any aid."
The situation became even more desperate in January. During the first half of the month, "the UNHCR has not provided one single kilogram of food and fuel!"
Because of shortages, Beslagic wrote, "the public soup-kitchens and the kitchens of the collection centres where the refugees are accommodated will be closed for five days; the food for the hospital, for the asylum for orphans and lost children, and for the asylum for elderly suffices for the next two days at most; the electricity supply system and the central heating system will stop functioning despite the efforts of the technical personnel. There is a looming threat of a humanitarian tragedy for the population of the region of Tuzla in the immediate future."
The UN's attitude, said Beslagic, was indicated by the fact that there is no representative of the UNHCR in Tuzla, the chief of the UNHCR division, having been on holidays for more than two months.
"Serb gunners from Majevica mountain are continually shelling the city", Beslagic reported, causing many casualties and deaths among civilians. The gunners were targeting medical centres and hospitals.
"In this very moment, when I am writing these lines, at 9.30 a.m., Serb shells are falling in the city centre and reports from [the] Medical Centre are informing of tens of wounded and killed."
He pointed out that the UN Security Council "declared Tuzla as a 'safe zone'. This resolution presents the obligation of international community to protect the city of Tuzla in which there are no military objects except 170,000 civil inhabitants living in overpopulated urban area."
"Unfortunately, it appears that the humanitarian aid and the suffering of the population are becoming an instrument of political pressure to be exerted upon the Bosnian delegation before the talks in Geneva. Therefore, we demand that the talks in Geneva result in a decision about the freedom of movement of the humanitarian convoys for our region, and that the instruments for the enforcement of such a decision be secured."