Aid for Kampucheans Statement Announcing United States Relief Effort Pledge.

A human tragedy of horrifying proportions is unfolding in Kampuchea, with millions of people facing illness or death from starvation. Every member of the international community has a duty to help avert further mass suffering in Karapuchea. This is beyond politics. It is a matter of simple and urgent humanitarian concern.

Two respected agencies—the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF)—have been acting as agents for concerned governments and the United Nations in launching a major relief program to get food and medicine to the people of Kampuchea before it is too late.

I am today announcing an initial United States pledge of $7 million to this effort: $2 million from the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund, plus 10,000 tons of food, worth $5 million from Food for Peace. This is in addition to the more than $1.2 million we have already devoted to feeding and caring for people along the Thai-Kampuchean border. I hope we can do more once the food and medicine begins to flow to those who need it, and I am eager to work with Congress to that end. Subsequently, we expect that the United Nations World Food Program, which is taking a leading role in mobilizing international food assistance, will draw upon U.S. pledges already made.

Secretary-General Waldheim has appealed to U.N. member states to support this effort with money and food. Japan, the Federal Republic of Germany, Australia, Britain, and the European Economic Community, have already responded. I urge others to follow their example.

I want to commend the private voluntary agencies which have moved so .quickly to deal with this emergency. During Pope John Paul's visit to the White House, he and I discussed the need to act swiftly. I know that his concern is shared by religious groups of many denominations.

A heavy responsibility rests on the regimes and fighting armies causing so much of the misery in Kampuchea. I call on those who are supplying them the weapons of war to use all their influence to assure that humanitarian relief reaches the people.