European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 02, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Allies help turn chads into order at Isik Veren and other kurdish Camps on the Border of Turkey and Iraq the death and squalor that so shocked the world Are gradually giving Way to stability. A a and yes even Hope. A helped by an International Relief Effort that is reminiscent of the Berlin Airlift the kurd Are regaining some control of their lives. Many Are leaving for newly built Camps and a political solution to their plight now a seems possible. But for the time being the Bleak and Barren Isik Veren remains Home to thousands of the 700,000 kurd who fled Saddam Hussein s army in March. For Many weeks Isik Veren was considered the worst of the Many Camps that Dot the Border. The kurd starved Here while enduring trial by ice Gale Force winds beat them with rain sleet and Hail then buried their pitiful encampments in Snow. The fortunate ones found shelter beneath blankets or a plastic sheeting. Others simply sat or stood without Protection. Turkish efforts to deliver food and water were limited because the Only Access was a single Steep Muddy Road. Finally air drops by the military Relief Effort a operation provide Comfort brought tents blankets clothing food and water to Isik Veren. The first . Army and air Force personnel were flown in by helicopter three weeks ago. _ Quot the first seven Days Here were nothing but Complete v and utter chaos Quot said army chief warrant officer 2 Tracy Paul Warrington of co a 1st in 10th special forces from bad Tolz Germany. Quot people were suffering terribly. When we landed they were trying to escape aboard the helicopter and we were trying to keep them off. They were pulling the Bird Down so we had to get physical with them Quot said Warrington 34, who guides helicopters onto the Camp Landing zone. Quot we had to fire warning shots several times because we were being crushed and the kurd were in danger of running into Tail rotors Quot added sgt. 1st class Rick Morris 30, a member of the bad Tolz unit. A since arriving the americans have imposed a strict Supply distribution system. Quot we be discovered that if we Are unemotional and ruthless in our distribution we do a better Job of feeding the kurd Quot said Warrington a resident of Simi Valley Calif. It a a v Ltd 1 v it. A .-�?-�?--�?.,. A a . Army special forces cw02 Tracy Paul Warrington brings a Hose to staff sgt. Roger Harrison As they prepare to pump water from a German chopper to a Camp storage tank. Food is distributed at Landing zone Piggy wiggly. Quot if you have a problem Contact our manager Quot states a sign at its Entrance. The Landing zone has one Entrance and one exit and is rimmed by concertina wire. Since Isik Veren can be reached by Road supplies Are sometimes hauled by tractor from the Valley floor. . Military helicopters also shuttle food to and from the base Camp or from Sil Opl Turkey. German army choppers bring water and food from the main German Relief base at Batman Turkey. Fourteen tribes Are represented in the Camp. Quot if a tribe represents 12 percent of the Camp s population it draws 12 percent of the food on hand Quot Warrington said. As food arrives team members Divide it into piles. A three sacks of flour for this tribe two sacks for that tribe. The continual arrival of goods necessitates constant i i a a a. A a a a a in. A a a a a refugees react with Triumph As they move past a . Marine while on their Way to a new refugee Camp. Re figuring of who gets what. When the piles Are ready for distribution tribal elders a recognizable by their double wrapped turbans and a walking Sticks a Are allowed into the compound. They inspect the piles while bickering and bickering about who should get what. Once they agree on the allocation members of tribes Are allowed into the Landing zone a tribe at a time to carry the goods Back to their squalid campsites. Death still stalks the Camp but its threat is diminishing. Quot the health situation at Isik Veren has improved dramatically in just the last three or four Days Quot or. Jaume Borras said late last week Quot today 15 people died. That a Down from the 20 to 25 who were dying daily just Days ago. Quot seventy five percent of the dead Are Young children who Are dying from the effects of diarrhoea and . Quot Borras of Barcelona Spain is a tropical Medicine specialist working at Isik Veren As a member of the _ International group doctors without Borders the organization s eight doctors and 10 nurses treat 900 patients daily at their clinic. Quot in the beginning we would treat 900 cases but thousands were left in line every Day waiting for treatment now we manage to treat everyone who Comesup the clinic Quot said Borras who arrived at Isik Veren on april 9. Quot the kurd Here mostly come from cities and towns. They Are educated and have Money. They Are not used to the Rigours of life in the having survived their trial by ice the kurd face trial by fire. Climatic changes come rapidly in the High mountains. The Days and nights of sub freezing temperatures have ended. Isik Veren shelters under an a unrelenting Sun and the temperatures reach into the 90s water is scarce. Melees erupt when trucks arrive to unload bottles of water. Children 500 at a time stand in hours waiting their turn to fill containers at a water faucet. Formerly the kurd could hike up to the snowline to get Snow. Recent scorching Days have melted that Snow and Only a fringe of Snow Caps Distant peaks. Water at least for now is what Isik Veren needs most. A Quot thursday May 2,1991 the stars and stripes. Page 3
