[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 48 (Monday, December 4, 1995)]
[Pages 2059-2060]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Announcing the Child Survival Initiative for Bosnia-Herzegovina 
and an Exchange With Reporters

November 27, 1995

    The President. Ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to be here today, 
especially with Congressman Tony Hall, a longstanding champion of 
children in our own country and throughout the world and the leading 
fighter in the Congress and perhaps in the entire United States in 
combating hunger. After visiting Bosnia this fall, Representative Hall 
worked with UNICEF to design the important child survival initiative 
that we announce today. I thank UNICEF Director Carol Bellamy, not only 
for her work at UNICEF but for her previous service in our 
administration as the Director of the Peace Corps; and the USAID 
Administrator, Brian Atwood, who has been a tireless advocate of 
America's role in promoting sustainable development, in providing 
developmental assistance, and protecting the welfare of children 
throughout the world.
    I want to especially welcome here two Bosnian families, the 
Kapetanovic family and the Mundzahasic family, who fled the fighting in 
their homeland and have been resettled as refugees here in the United 
States. Welcome to both of you.
    These families know firsthand the terrible costs of war, the 
breakdown of basic human services, the lack of medical care, the forced 
closure of schools. They know how desperately the people of Bosnia need 
support and assistance from the international community right now.
    Since the conflict in Bosnia began nearly 4 years ago, our Nation 
has played a major role in providing emergency assistance, including 
support for children, clean water and sanitation, food, shelter, and 
health care. But even with these efforts, the war in Bosnia has 
seriously harmed the most innocent and most vulnerable members of that 
society, its children.
    Immunization rates have declined dramatically, putting tens of 
thousands of children at risk of potentially deadly whooping cough, 
measles, and diphtheria. The situation has been aggravated by the onset 
of harsh winters and overcrowded living conditions. Half of Bosnia's 
pre-war population was driven from their homes during the conflict, and 
even today, more than one million of them remain homeless.
    In addition, the basic education systems in the region are in deep 
crisis. It is estimated that 40 percent of the primary schools in 
Croatia and 55 percent of those in Bosnia have been either damaged or 
destroyed.
    Now that a lasting peace is at hand, we have to bring the Bosnian 
people the benefits of that peace, starting with the children. And that 
is exactly what USAID and UNICEF are doing. Together, they will lead a 
new, multinational initiative to immunize the children of Bosnia, 
Croatia, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia who have not had access 
to decent health care during this war. Efforts should begin before 
Christmas. Most of the approximately 150,000 needy children in the 
region should be immunized within just 6 months.
    This initiative will also provide support for basic education 
systems. Remember the comment of Zlata Filpovic, the Sarajevan girl who 
shared her experience of the war through her remarkable diary. ``For 
me,'' she said, ``the school is a symbol of normal life. When they take 
away my school, I said this really means something. They took my 
childhood, they took my school.'' With this program we can at least 
begin to give those children back their childhoods which were stolen.
    USAID and UNICEF are finalizing plans for this $15 million 
initiative. The United States will devote $2 million to back the effort 
now, and our goal is to contribute $5 million. We'll also do our part to 
mobilize other donors. We hope our friends and our allies will join us 
in supporting this important program for the children of the former 
Yugoslavia.
    We have just celebrated one of our most treasured holidays, 
Thanksgiving. All across our country, Americans came together to give 
thanks for the blessings in their lives and the lives of their families.
    This Thanksgiving, our Nation helped to give the people of Bosnia a 
blessing as well: the first real hope of peace in nearly 4 years. I want 
to say a special thanks again to the

[[Page 2060]]

citizens of Dayton, Ohio, who welcomed the Balkan leaders to Dayton and 
who demonstrated on our behalf our vast and diverse Nation all committed 
to living together in peace.
    Now we have a responsibility to see this achievement through. That 
is who we are as a people. That is what we stand for as a nation. The 
people of Bosnia, the children of Bosnia, have suffered unspeakable 
atrocities. We must not, and we will not, turn our backs on peace. And I 
am very proud to begin this very important day of discussion with the 
American people with this important announcement.
    And again, I want to say a special word of thanks to Congressman 
Tony Hall for coming to me with this idea and helping me to develop it 
and push it through to the point where we could announce it today.
    Thank you all, and thank you, Congressman.

President's Address to the Nation

    Q. Mr. President, how hard a sell do you face tonight with your 
speech?
    The President. I think the American people will respond. I believe 
that they're entitled to an explanation, that our values and our 
interests are very much at stake in the decision we make. And they're 
also entitled to an explanation about what exactly I propose to have our 
troops do there as part of the NATO mission. And I will do that this 
evening.
    But I believe they will respond. This is an extraordinary 
opportunity and we have a very compelling responsibility, and I expect 
the American people to support it.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 1:44 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House.