World IN BRIEF : BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA : Allies Begin Airlift of Christmas Toys

With a deadly winter soon to engulf Bosnia-Herzegovina and the prospects for peace in the former Yugoslav republic equally frozen, allied aircraft based in Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany launched “Provide Santa,” an effort to bring cheer to Bosnian children by dropping candy and toys including teddy bears. The presents, along with regular relief supplies, were loaded onto U.S., German and French military cargo planes, which have been airdropping food and medicine into Bosnia almost every night as part of a nearly nine-month relief operation. Officials stressed that the regular relief supplies are not being reduced to accommodate the children’s gifts. “The psychological boost will be enormous,” said Sadako Ogata, the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, who toured the operation.