European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 11, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 b the stars and stripes Somalia Friday december 11, 1992marines set sights on next objective factional fight won t delay move to famine zone Washington apr . Commanders in Somalia Are monitoring intelligence reports of fighting among clans in outlying areas but expect no delay in expanding operations beyond the capital of Mogadishu Pentagon officers said wednesday. Marine corps it. Gen. Martin l. Brandtner who is overseeing the operation in the office of the joint chiefs of staff said the 1,700 marines in Mogadishu were preparing to seize their next objective Bairoa an outpost in the Center of the famine zone 200 Miles Northwest of the capital. The chief of intelligence for the joint chiefs rear adm. Michael w. Cramer said there had been factional fighting in recent Days in several towns where . Troops arc headed later in the operation to provide Security for Relief supplies. He added though that the violence seemed to be subsiding wednesday. A it looks As though a but we re obviously monitoring this very carefully a that the Security at those airfields and so on where we will go in the future is beginning to resolve itself a Cramer said at the Pentagon a first formal briefing since operation restore i Lope began tuesday. Breakdown of . Forces to Somalia and Headquarters for Field operations in Somalia. Led by it. Gen. Robert b. Johnston. A marines 16,000 troops mostly from the 1st Marine expeditionary Force Camp Pendleton Calif. Air Force 600 troops to support c-130 transport jets and tactical aircraft army 10,000 troops from the 10th Mountain div it. Drum . Cramer estimated that the four major factions in Somalia have Between 12,000 and 28,000 men under arms. Their weapons include mortars recoilless guns rocket launchers 7.62 my machine guns 105 my artillery pieces anti air missiles and numerous Small arms such As ak-47 assault rifles grenades. A your assessment of no organized resistance in Mogadishu is holding a he said adding that it was too Early to know whether there would be opposition elsewhere. Brandtner said the commander of operation restore Hope. Marine corps i t Gen. Robert b. Johnston was scheduled to arrive by thursday in Mogadishu. Col. Charlie Coolidge vice commander of the air Force Post that is coordinating . Transport flights into Somalia said from Scott fab 111., that some flights already had carried Lead elements of the 1st Marine expeditionary Force to Somalia from Camp Pendleton Calif. Brandtner said elements of the army s 10th Mountain div Light based at fort drum ., would begin arriving in Somalia a very  he  say when. Cramer said . Intelligence sources had reported shooting in a Winter clan clashes in Bairoa. A that. Seems to have subsided a he said adding that Security conditions in Kis Mayo a seaport in the extreme South of Somalia were a not As Good As elsewhere. Overall Cramer and Brandtner said the Marine led operation is proceeding As planned. Brandtner said there had been no american casualties and no shots by . Forces other than warning shots fired toward a few somalis running in the Harbor area. Navy 1,550 troops on support ships off somalian coast aped de Gasero agricultural devastation dims Somalia s prospects Rome apr even if peace is restored in Somalia the devastated african land will face up to three More years of hunger because of the damage to its agriculture says a . Expert. Peter Newhouse of the . Food and agriculture organization offered his prognosis to reporters at a . Conference on nutrition. A .-led multinational Force began operations in Somalia on wednesday to protect emergency food deliveries to hundreds of thousands of starving somalis. The farming and food distribution system in Somalia has been severely disrupted by Battles Between rival clans worsening the Impact of a severe drought. Newhouse a division which analyses harvests and predicts famines warned of the disaster in Somalia almost a year ago. A famine will not end when the conflict ends Quot because Somalia a agriculture has been devastated Newhouse said wednesday. A even if peace comes today we would have a Long term problem. Of two or three y ears of hunger he said. He said catastrophic situations also loom elsewhere in Africa especially Mozambique Sudan and Liberia. . Officials have said that in Sudan which has been torn by civil War for 10 years up to one fifth of the 5 million people in the South face starvation. The Urban population in the South depends on donated food and As in Somalia the problem mainly consists of getting Relief past warring militias. Newhouse said be could not pre dict whether a huge military Force would need to intervene in Sudan too. Fighting also has made it difficult to deliver food in Liberia where poor harvests Are expected next year he said. Rains in Mozambique Bode Well for the next Harvest he said and a recent Accord to end the nations 15-year-old civil War will make it easier to distribute food. But food supplies Are strained Newhouse said because word of the peace Accord also prompted refugees to come Home. Cooking area the hungry Are fed uni mix a dry mixture of 50 percent Corn 30 percent red bean 10 percent sugar and 10 percent Oil. Water is added to the dry meal and then it is cooked Over an open Wood fire in 55-gallon Drums which Are Cut in half. Typical feeding Center in Somalia feeding procedure parents and children sit in rows and Relief workers fill their bowls by lading the Gruel from a bucket. Medical attention children Are weighed each Day to keep track of their weight. Medical facility provides first Aid and immunization against water borne diseases the Center feeds roughly 1,000 children a Day and the adults who brought them. World concern feeds 20,000 children daily in All its centers in Somalia source world concern line to enter compound hired armed guards make up nearly i one half of the Center s staff. I ask Gude. D Desilet Ramstein to get More air traffic in Relief Effort rams tto in a Germany a base officials expect More air traffic than usual As . Air Force cargo planes supporting the Somalia Relief Effort use the base s Airfield. Most cargo planes involved in operation restore Hope will Fly nonstop to Somalia from Norton fab Calif., and Mcguire fab n.j., which Are the main staging areas for the Effort. However Ramstein officials expect some air traffic to be diverted to Ramstein due to weather conditions or air traffic congestion. Personnel Medicine food equipment and supplies Are being shipped to Somalia by cargo plane in the 24-hour-a-Day, seven Day a week humanitarian Effort. Relief work is Best left to pros experts say Washington a Well meaning americans offering to help distribute food to starving somalis need to realize that the african country is no inner City soup Kitchen Relief officials say. A primarily its just Plain dangerous a said Karen Donovan of interaction a Washington based association of 143 private Relief agencies. Americans can help Best by sending Money to Relief organizations with staff already in the country Donovan advised. Organizing Relief efforts requires experienced professionals who know when to stay when to leave and How to handle the people who might Hurt them she said. Charitable americans moved by the Christmas season to lend their muscle to Somalia done to realize that the a a Grunt work in the country is being done by somalis who need jobs Donovan said. A they need to be paid so they can live a she said. A it would be taking someone a Job away if you were to go. A Somalia is not Only dangerous it is not a healthy place to be a Donovan said. A the living conditions Are not Verv  j nevertheless she said her office received 25 Calls monday from Well meaning volunteers who said they did no to have Money but were ready to Start passing out food to the needy in the East african country. Working in Somalia is not like working with the poor in the United states she said. Many Relief workers Are former peace corps volunteers and Many have masters degrees in International development Public health or nutrition. Almost All have been overseas and Only the most experienced Are going to Somalia said Donovan. A the climatic situation is very difficult said Roy Williams operations director for the International Rescue committee which has Public health staff working in Somalia. A the heat is very enervating so you Start out with a Handicap. You have to drink a lot More than you would otherwise. A Good food is difficult to obtain so you tend to eat things you would stay away  Williams said malaria is a particular problem because the Rainy season in Somalia is just ending. The danger is also something Many americans done to comprehend. A what we Are seeing with the military is momentous a said Williams. A we can Only do so much. To have the added assistance of the military can make a great Deal of  Williams organization employs nurses sanitation engineers and logistics experts who arrange housing acquire vehicles and set up communications. A there Are no phones a Williams said. A if we Are Lucky there is a radio  cellular telephones can to cover the Long distances in Somalia. Besides medical and food supplies the organizations must pay for housing generators vehicles radios and satellite telephones Donovan said. A a it a very expensive to run these programs a she said