THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 15, 1995 TAG: 9507150377
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SANJA OMANOVIC
LENGTH: Long : 109 lines
It's twilight in Sarajevo. Mirza Pepic, 40, his wife, Aida, 37, and their daughter Mirna, 10, are sitting around the table in their apartment. A colorless liquid with a few beans fills their plates. It's lukewarm because there was nothing left to burn to make a fire. They burned everything yesterday to bake the bread.
It's summer, and the plastic sheets that cover the blown-out windows have been rolled back to encourage the breeze. Sounds of explosions outside don't disturb them. The shelling is far enough away for now.
The family is starting to eat. They do it fast. The goal is just not to be hungry. They have forgotten that food can taste good.
There is also another reason to eat fast: It will be dark soon, and there are no more candles in the house. They don't have enough cooking oil to make any kind of improvised light. That means they have to finish their meal quickly if they want to see their plates.
When darkness comes, they will go to bed and try to sleep. What else can you do after dinner if it's dark and you are still a little hungry?
There is no chance that the Pepic family will have anything better on their table soon. The city of 300,000 isn't getting any humanitarian aid. The airport has been closed since April, and the ground convoys are not moving.
Sarajevo's mayor, Tarik Kupusovic, made an attempt this week to remind the world about the humanitarian situation in the city by sending a letter to the American people.
Headlined ``Sarajevo Calls for Help,'' the letter promotes the idea of collecting food for Sarajevo.
In it, Kupusovic reminds Americans that this is the fourth year Sarajevo has been living under the longest siege in the history of modern warfare. He says the Bosnian Serbs have murdered more than 10,500 citizens, including 1,700 children.
Conditions continue to deteriorate in Bosnia - a place where people have been killed every day for more than three years, a place where people have lost everything they had, a place where people are starving.
The mayor's letter says: ``On behalf of the citizens of Sarajevo, on behalf of humanity and in God's name, I beg you to collect as many foodstuffs as possible.''
Does the mayor still believe, after so many lost hopes, that the American people will help? Probably. Bosnians strongly believe in the good in people. Four years of war hasn't destroyed that belief.
Meanwhile, Sarajevans are fighting their everyday struggle: They are fighting for their lives. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is trying to help them.
``The quantity of food received by Sarajevans from the UNHCR is only nine ounces per capita daily,'' the mayor's letter says. ``Of that amount, six ounces of flour is delivered to the city bakery for bread. This means that in addition to six ounces of bread daily, Sarajevans receive only three ounces of other food.''
Can anybody make breakfast, lunch and dinner with three ounces of food? Can any child be healthy eating three ounces of beans, rice or macaroni daily for 3 1/2 years?
Night is falling on Sarajevo. The Pepic family is going to bed. Aida kisses her daughter's pale cheek. ``Good night, dear,'' she says. ``Have nice dreams.''
The girl opens her blue eyes with a little smile. ``I will, Ma. I will dream about apples.''
Somewhere far away, the sound of explosions is coming. MEMO: HOW TO HELP
To donate food for Sarajevo, send contributions to:
SARAJEVO CALLS FOR HELP
via Intersped - Ploce
Ploce, Croatia
For: Government of Bosnia-Herzegovina
Ministry for Refugees and Social Affairs
Office for Humanitarian Aid for the City of Sarajevo
Lord Mayor's Office
Suggested items: canned meat, canned vegetables, powdered milk,
sugar, cooking oil, instant coffee, powdered potatoes, powdered milk.
Aid delivered to ``Sarajevo Calls for Help'' will be transported from
Ploce to Sarajevo through officials of the Sarajevo City Council.
To make a monetary donation, send checks payable to ``Sarajevo Calls
for Help'' to:
Bankers Trust Corp.
280 Park Ave., No. 15-E
New York, N.Y. 10017-1270
Account: PBS Sarajevo, DD No. 04-023-154
The contact person in the United States for this appeal is Alma
Musanovic at the Embassy of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina in
Washington. Phone: 202-833-3812. Fax: 202-833-2061.
LET THERE BE LIGHT.
Food obviously is important for Sarajevans. But what also is
important is light. If you have light while shells are exploding all
around, you will feel better. You will not be afraid so much. You will
feel more human, less like a rat trapped in a hole.
Let There Be Light of Virginia is a nonprofit organization working to
provide solar lanterns and solar radios for Sarajevo. The contact person
is Sherman Edmondson, 1501 Lafayette Blvd., Norfolk, Va. 23509. Phone:
623-6711.
ILLUSTRATION: Sanja Omanovic, a Sarajevan journalist, just completetd a
National FOrum Foundation visiting fellowship at The
Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star. She plans to return home to
Sarajevo next month.
KEYWORDS: SARAJEVO RELIEF EFFORT DONATIONS by CNB