Increased US/UK Crisis Funding For Africa Could 'Answer Millions Of Prayers' - Un Official
New York, Jun 9 2005
Just back from a tour of southern African countries crippled by drought, HIV/AIDS and plummeting government services,
the head of the United Nations food relief agency praised the so-called "Bush-Blair" initiative, which could
dramatically increase the amount of aid for victims of such humanitarian crises on that continent.
"Additional funds from the United States for the World Food Programme's work in Africa will answer the prayers of
millions of hungry mothers and children" said James Morris, the Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP). "It comes just in time to avert massive loss of life from
hunger, especially in Ethiopia and Eritrea."
This past Tuesday United States President George Bush and United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair called on the
international community for increased emergency funding for "people in acute need in many parts of Africa," with the US
specifically pledging approximately $674 million of additional resources, and the UK pledging some $300 million.
Before the announcement, the WFP was nearly $1 billion short of its $2 billion target for relief operations in Africa this year. According to the
agency, its country directors in Sudan, Burundi and Sierra Leone have faced a "heart-wrenching choice" of cutting either
the number of people receiving food relief or the size of the rations.
In addition to the dollar increase in aid, Mr. Morris was sanguine about the increased concern over hunger Africa shown
by the US and UK leaders.
"They understand how crucial it is to fight hunger if we are to succeed in the other Millennium Development Goals of halving poverty, cutting child and maternal mortality, promoting education for all children, empowering children and
combating AIDS," he said.
In his role as special envoy of Secretary-General Kofi Annan for humanitarian needs in southern Africa, Mr. Morris just
completed and 11-day tour of the region that included stops in Zambia, Swaziland, Malawi, South Africa, Botswana and
Zimbabwe, where he saw the deadly inter-relationship of hunger, AIDS, and low government capacity.
"People across Africa are telling us they can't fight HIV on an empty stomach. As more and more people receive
antiretroviral treatment, thanks to donations from G-8 countries, we hope that they and their families will have the
food they need to stay healthy," he said.
ENDS