By Danny Sinopoli Last year's Bermuda Red Cross (BRC) fundraising appeal for Rwanda, helped the British Red Cross Society's (BRCS) send 55 professionals to the ravaged African country, said Mr. Frank Gamble, BRC director.

According to Mr. Gamble, the $57,250 raised locally from August to October of last year -- matched by Government -- is part of the enormous assistance given by the British aid society, in which the Island's Red Cross is a branch. Of the 55 sent, many from the medical field, 22 people are still working to aid Rwandan refugees, he added.

"It is important to say `thank you' for the generosity and to inform the people of Bermuda about what is being done,'' noted Mr. Gamble.

From April to December, in a period where one million people have died in Rwanda, two million were displaced from their homes and another two million have become refugees, the BRCS has generated almost $18 million to aid Rwanda, according to Mr. Gamble.

Money raised in Bermuda not only helped sent the 55 delegates but also helped the BRCS send 24 relief supply flights to the ravaged country and two sea freight consignments.

And the BRCS helped the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) send one flight of medical supplies and two flights of ICRC transport vehicles to the region.

The BRCS contributed over $2.4 million to the ICRC's overall Rwanda operations, and over $1.8 million to the Red Cross's Federation, an association of international Red Cross.

According to the ICRC, the Rwanda project is their largest in 1994. "This is without a doubt one of the greatest tragedies in the post war era, the effort will be an ongoing one for the Red Cross,'' according to Mr. Gamble.

Overall, last year's $76 million ICRC budget for the Rwanda has delivered 25,000 tonnes of food, distributed non-food items to over one million people, while over 600,000 people have received bean and maise seeds.

The ICRC has also helped surgical teams perform over 1,000 operations and supplied medical provisions hospitals and clinics as well as helped establish safe water supplies.

It has also registered 25,000 of the 100,000 unaccompanied children and over 11,000 prisoners.

The ICRC has also; dissemination of Red Cross principles, International Humanitarian Law and respect for the civilian population.

In Zaire, where the Rwandan refugee population is estimated at 1.1 million, the relief efforts of the Red Cross Federation and Zairean Red Cross include; Management of the Kibumba camp (200,000) and Kahindo Camp (up to 60,000 people).

Five dispensaries treating 8,500 patients per week in the Kibumba camp.

Referral hospital with expandable 120 bed capacity for north Goma.

Water and sanitation, with other agencies two million litres of water supplied daily to Kibumba camp using 40 tankers.

Food distribution of 170 tons to 50,000 people daily from two sites on a six day cycle.

Community health programmes, training of workers, data collection, education campaigns, referrals to clinics and food centres.

Disaster preparedness measures for possible influx on Burundi refugees into Zaire.

Before the resumption of hostilities in Rwanda, stemming from the death of President Juvenal Habyarimana, the ICRC was already conducting a huge relief programme in the country.

After the presidential death on April 6 last year, violence erupted with tens of thousands of Tutsis, and some Hutus suspected of belonging to the opposition, attempted to escape the killing by collecting in Kigali and the provinces. But thousands of fleeing Tutsis were hacked to death by Hutus.

MR. FRANK GAMBLE -- The Bermuda Red Cross director thank Bermudians for helping Rwanda.