UN Warns of Famine in Sarajevo

BATTLES raging around Sarajevo's airport Dec. 8 diminished hopes for a quick resumption of aid flights as United Nations officials reported signs of famine in the Bosnian capital.

A relief official told the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that children were increasingly begging for food, while adults had lost so much weight they no longer resembled their identity card photographs.

In Paris, France's senior military commander said the West should consider some sort of military involvement to end the Bosnian carnage.

UN peacekeepers said rival Serb and government-led forces agreed to guarantee the safety of relief flights into Sarajevo and these would resume Dec. 9.

But Sylvana Foa, a UNHCR spokeswoman said any flights Dec. 9 would likely be restricted to resupplying the UN peacekeepers.

In a further blow to Sarajevo's food supply, authorities announced Dec. 7 that the sole city bakery would not operate for lack of fuel. Bread has been rationed in Sarajevo since early November. Ms. Foa said an additional concern was that Sarajevo will run out of chlorine to purify their drinking water by Dec. 10.