UN Radio: Annan Condemns Bomb Attack in Jakarta

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.

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