UN Radio: Secretary-General Condemns Bomb Attack in Jakarta
Secretary-General Condemns Bomb Attack in Jakarta
United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has strongly condemned the bombing of a luxury hotel in the Indonesian
capital Jakarta. Thirteen people were killed in the blast which damaged five floors of the American run Marriott Hotel
and injured over 100 people. UN spokesman Fred Eckhard:
"The Secretary-General is horrified at the bomb explosion today at the Marriot Hotel in Jakarta, reportedly killing at
least ten people and injuring many more. He condemns, in the strongest possible terms, this apparent act of terrorism."
The Secretary-General extended his heartfelt condolences to the Government of Indonesia and the families of the victims
of the attack.
UNHCR Welcomes Arrival of Peacekeepers in Liberia The UN High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR, has welcomed the arrival of the first international peacekeepers in
Liberia. The agency hopes the deployment will stabilize the security situation on the ground and enable aid agencies to
resume helping hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the conflict. UNHCR spokesman, Kris Janowski says the agency
is preparing to send a ship from Freetown in Sierra Leone to the Liberian capital of Monrovia:
"We've got a boat in Freetown that is being loaded with supplies, with vehicles and aid supplies and as soon as we get a
green light from the UN security team, the boat will travel to Liberia bringing aid and also bringing back UNHCR
international staff."
UNHCR says refugees from Liberia continue to arrive daily in neigbhouring Cote d'Ivoire. Meanwhile, more Nigerian
peacekeepers and equipment arrived in Liberia today. The Secretary-General welcomed the deployment of the vanguard force
within 72 hours of the UN Security Council's resolution on Liberia. Mr. Annan repeated his call on the government of
Liberia and the rebel forces to cease hostilities immediately and to cooperate with the West African peacekeepers and
humanitarian workers.
WFP Says Thousands of People Face Starvation in Sudan
The World Food Programme warned today that thousands of people face starvation in Sudan. The agency said the already
difficult situation due to civil war and drought has been made worse by devastating floods. WFP spokesperson, Christiane
Berthiaume says, in April, WFP launched an appeal for $130 million but it has only received $40 million:
"This is just putting an additional burden on a very dire situation in Sudan where we have 3.2 million people who do
depend on us and we don't have enough money."
Ms. Berthiaume appealed to donors to urgently make contributions.
UNICEF Chief Praises Ecuador Improving Children's Lives
The Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund today praised the government of Ecuador for its commitment to improving
children's lives through increased social spending. However, Ms Carol Bellamy, who is on an official visit to Ecuador,
added that more investment is necessary to reach all children with basic services. She said education and health for all
children are principal concerns for UNICEF. Ms. Bellamy applauded the new Ecuadorian Code for Children and Adolescents
that legally guarantees the welfare of children.
Security Council Committee Approves Funding for Books in Iraq
The Security Council Sanctions Committee dealing with Iraq this week approved over $72 million to fund the production of
textbooks for Iraqi students and teachers. The project, submitted by UNICEF, the Coalition Provisional Authority and
interim ministries of education is aimed at printing more than 66 million copies of newly edited primary, intermediate,
preparatory and vocational textbooks. Most of Iraq's textbooks and education resources were looted or burned following
the war.