«Article on African Refugees»

VT/sma cc: Mr. Jaeger Miss Brissimi Mr. Kacirek Mr. Homann-Herimberg Mr. Wright/P.I Chron Mr. Tedesco (2) Registry Carimbo : 8 May 1967 Representative, UNHCR Regional Office, New York V. Tedesco 18.2/13/54, 18/2/26 (66) 2 May 1967 Articles on African Refugees 1. Among the last batch of clippings sent by you on African refugees were three based on an article by Milton Besser, an A.P. writer. They appeared in the Iowa City, Iowa Press Citizen (22 March); the Cleveland, Ohio, Plain Dealer (2 April); and the Perth Amboy, N.J. News (30 March 1967). 2. The article is based on our publication “Refugees in Africa” and makes good - and very intelligent - use of the information it contains. We should like to thank you for having arranged for this “review”, and should also like you, please, to convey to Mr. Besser our sincere appreciation of his interest and cooperation. 3. I am enclosing a photocopy of a map (produced by A.P News Features) which was used to illustrate two of the articles and will doubtlessly reappear in many other papers as a result of Mr. Besser’s syndication arrangements. The map is an excellent one which, because of its very simplicity, is likely to make considerable impact. Indeed, we are wondering whether A.P News Features might permit us to use this map (and some of the techniques employed in designing it) for “UNHCR Reports...” and possibly other publications, on the understanding, of course, that A.P News Features is given the appropriate line. 4. It would be appreciated if you would contact the Associated Press Office on this, and I hope that they may agree to the above suggestion. 5. If they do, I am wondering if they might be persuaded to provide us with the art work needed for eventual reproductions but, before doing so, do some updating (as of January 1st 1967) and make some slight editorial changes to the box in order to add to the immediate usefulness of the map. (If necessary, we could pay for any expenditure incurred in connection with the art work - although I trust A.P. will agree to provide “for free” as a public service). 6. The estimated total number of refugees in Africa south of the Sahara of concern to UNHCR is now in the region of 730,000 (as of 1 May 1967) as against the 650,000 mentioned in the publication “Refugees in Africa”. 7. We would therefore suggest that the text of the “box” be redrafted to read as follows:- “In early 1967, there were some 730,000 refugees in Africa south of the Sahara. Their presence posed serious problems, both for the seven main countries of asylum and for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) who, in the past six years, has spent nearly $10 million on projects for the relief and, above all, the settlement of refugees in that area.” 8. The latest figures (as of May 1st 1967) produced by our statistical people, and arranged to follow the pattern of the A.P. map, are as follows:- i. From Angola to Congo: 300,000 “ Rwanda “ “ 24,000 “ Sudan “ “ 33,000 ii. From Rwanda to Uganda: 68,000 “ Sudan “ “ 55,000 “ Congo “ “ 33,000 iii. From Rwanda to Burundi: 54,000 “ Congo “ “ 25,000 iv. From Congo to Central African Republic: 16,000 “ Sudan “ “ 27,000 v. From Portuguese Guines to Senegal: 61,000 vi. From Rwanda to Tanzania: 13,500 “ Congo “ “ 800 “ Mozambique to Tanzania 19,000 vii. From Angola to Zambia: 3,800 “ Mozambique “ “ 1,800 9. In addition to these circa 730,000, there are some other relatively small refugee groups, as follows:- (i) refugees from Burundi in Rwanda; (ii) some 700 refugees from various countries (including Malawi, South and South West Africa) in Tanzania; (iii) some 700 refugees from various countries (as above) in Zambia, and (iv) scattered small groups and individuals all over Africa. There is no need, however, to include these in the map, and the figures given are primarily intended for your background information. (Text and figures cleared with Messrs. Jaeger and Kacirek)