text: the special emergency in southern Su- dan where Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) addressed the needs of many thousands of victims of flooding, drought, food shortages, epidemics and a prolonged conflict which had displaced a large segment of the popu- lation, destroyed infrastructure and impeded the delivery of relief. It is estimated that in 1988 some 250,000 people died in southern Su- dan as a result of hunger and disease, and when the Government requested emergency assistance, the United Na- tions Secretary-General responded on 27 October 1988 with an appeal to the international community. His appeal was followed by a joint Government/ United Nations high-level meeting in Khartoum (8-9 March 1989), at which all parties endorsed an emer- gency plan of action. UNICEF Executive Director James P. Grant led the United Nations delega- tion in Khartoum, and on 23 March the Secretary-General appointed him as his Personal Representative for OLS. A United Nations Operations Group, including representatives of the International Committee for the Red Cross, was set up at New York Headquarters at the same time, to- gether with an internal UNICEF inter- divisional task force. UNICEF strength-ened its offices in Khartoum and Nairobi and seconded international stair" to provide support. More than 80 UNICEF star!" have served in these field operations to date. As of 30 September, more than 106,000 metric tonnes of food and non-food assistance, including medi- cal supplies, had been delivered. This was about 88 per cent of the priority needs estimated at the time of the March conference. By 8 December, a UNICEF emergency appeal for south- ern Sudan was just US$4.4 million from its US$20.5 million target. Mr. Grant's mandate as Personal Representative of the Secretary- General ended in October, and phase one of OLS was completed on 31 October. The new Personal Represen-
analysis: The text describes a humanitarian crisis in southern Sudan, where a large-scale emergency operation was launched to address the needs of victims of flooding, drought, food shortages, epidemics, and conflict. The operation involved international organizations, including the United Nations and the International Committee for the Red Cross, and focused on delivering food, medical supplies, and other forms of assistance. The text highlights the scale of the crisis, with an estimated 250,000 deaths in 1988, and the international response to it.