U.N. official reports on Niger crisis

AP on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 7/19/05 | Edith M. Lederer - AP

[NormsRevenge]

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The west African nation of Niger is suffering "an acute humanitarian crisis" in which children are dying because the world community ignored U.N. appeals for urgent aid, the U.N. humanitarian chief said Tuesday.

Jan Egeland said 2.5 million people are in desperate need of food, including 800,000 malnourished children. Some 150,000 of those children will die soon "unless we really get to step up our operation."

The landlocked country, one of the poorest in the world, was devastated by an invasion of locusts that ate everything green last year and was then hit by drought that lasted until earlier this month, he said.

The United Nations first appealed for assistance for Niger in November and got almost no response. Another appeal for $16 million in March got about $1 million. The latest appeal on May 25 for $30 million has received about $10 million.

"We are having now an acute humanitarian crisis in Niger in which children are dying as we speak," Egeland said. "We could have prevented this and the world community didn't."

He said there were no figures on the number of deaths in Niger, but he cited a report from one feeding center where 14 of the 61 severely malnourished children that were being treated last week died.

"In nowhere in the world is the gap between our capacity to act and the number of lives at risk as great as Niger today," Egeland said.

He said the United Nations is sending 23,000 metric tons of food to meet the urgent needs of 1.2 million people, he said.

But the world body believes that 3.6 million people will need emergency assistance - about one-third of the country's population of more than 10 million, he said.

As of July 1, the United States had committed over $1.6 million to nutritional, agricultural and livestock programs to implementing partners. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has appealed for $4 million for agricultural programs in Niger and received just $650,000 from Sweden, he said.

[MJY1288]

With Saddam in Jail, there is nobody to purchase their Uranium Oxide

[TaMoDee]

Archieve this post. Bring it back at 10 year intervals.
Same story different names for the next 1000 years.

[concerned about politics]

Wait a minute! Africa is going to build a huge statue, they say, that is bigger that the Statue of Liberty to honor Mandela as the great freedom fighter! If they have enough money "laying around" to build a huge statue for a politician, they sure must have enough money for food and medicine! We're already paying for a stupid statue!

[mmercier]

The last place on earth you want to be in the coming year is on the African continent, waiting for the UN to save you.

[Dems_R_Losers]

With Saddam in Jail, there is nobody to purchase their Uranium Oxide

Damn! Beat me to it! Great minds think alike.

[Sender]

"Let them eat yellowcake". -Joe Wilson?

[MJY1288]

:-)

[stylin19a]

Dear UN

My name is Sosueme. I have been guardian of 375 million US Dolloars earmarked for the people of Niger. I cannot give this money to the current Niger government as it will never go to my people which so desperately need it.

I can make arrangments to bypass the current Niger governemnt with your help. In return, you will receive a 10% broker fee.

In order to show your good faith, please send a $5,000 money order to my attorney, the esteemed Ifleesam.

upon receipt, your brokers fee will be deposited in an unlisted bank account in your name in the Caymen Islands.

please don't let my people starve.

Sincerly,

Sosueme