Published by: World Tibet Network News Wednesday February 28, 1996

By LINDA CHONG

HONG KONG, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Thousands of Tibetan nomads hit by the worst snowstorms in 100 years may starve to death within a week since most international aid has been directed to victims of a deadly earthquake in southwest China's Yunnan province, a humanitarian group said Thursday.

Voluntary organization Medecins Sans Frontieres has issued an urgent appeal for help in staving off a famine in central China's Qinghai province, where some 80,000 people are suffering arctic temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero.

So far, 25,000 people have lost all their cattle, on which residents rely for all of their needs, including food and skins for their basic tents.

An emergency team of three medical specialists traveled last week to the remote Yushu prefecture, where the Chinese government estimated more than 80 percent of the livestock has been killed. The team concluded the situation is dire and food, medical aid and heating material are desperately needed.

"These are the poorest people who live in the mountains, so when they come down, they have no food and no money," said Serge Depotter, a nurse specializing in nutrition and medical emergency relief who is coordinating the emergency project. "As a result, they also get no medical treatment."

Bitter snowstorms already have lasted for three months and because the nomads live at an altitude as high as 18,045 feet, the winter is expected to continue through late April or early May, Depotter said. Yushu is 1,170 miles (1,870 kms) southwest of Beijing, high on the Tibetan plateau.

"The livestock are their only source of food because when people have such temperatures, agriculture production is impossible," Depotter said.

He said $1 million in initial relief work is needed to tide them over. Depotter said 16,000 people suffered from frostbite and another 12,000 became snowblind. The vast majority of people are severely malnourished.

Depotter said food flown into the area in January and February will begin running out next week unless more arrives. At best, the population could survive under such brutal conditions only another 10 days.

Depotter also said the Brussels-based agency was strapped for funds following its Yunnan quake relief work this month. The deadly Feb. 3 temblor killed about 250 people and left more than 15,000 injured in the scenic Chinese region.

The group is expected to apply for a $1 million grant from the Hong Kong government's Disaster Relief Fund this week to help with the Qinghai effort.

"We had read reports describing the problems, but the team was quite shocked to see dead corpses everywhere when they got to the villages in Yushu. These people really have lost everything," said Alain Guilloux, the group's Hong Kong director.

The agency wants to purchase 1,200 tons of barley flour which will provide 60,000 people a day for one month. The team also hopes to buy oil, blankets, natural fuels and medical materials to supplement existing medical supplies.

"We must fear a human catastrophe," Depotter said in a telephone interview.

With respiratory tract infections and diarrhea being the rampant health ailments, Depotter said the medical team has struck up a deal with Chinese authorities in which the relief doctors and nurses will provide all medical supplies and care because the people have lost everything.