Great story posted on the UN Foundation website: "When McKinley Middle School sixth-grader Craig Smith learned that one African child dies each minute from measles, he decided to take action. He urged his classmates to raise money for the American Red Cross Measles Initiative, a long-term project that aims to inoculate 200 million children in up to 36 sub-Saharan African countries." Read the rest...
TRANSCRIPT:
BLITZER: All right. Let's move on and talk about the oil-for- food program that existed until Saddam Hussein's demise almost two years ago. Senator Coleman, your subcommittee's been holding hearings.
What have you learned that's new? Give us one little nugget that you came away with from your latest investigation this week.
Key points:
* The UN provided support for the formation of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) and the recruitment and training of 900 IECI staff. The Commission is comprised entirely of Iraqis, plus one UN expert who is a non-voting member.
* A UN electoral team of more than 50 staff members in Baghdad, Amman and New York engaged in a wide range of work to provide the IECI with the technical, logistical, financial and administrative assistance necessary to conduct successful national elections.
"The Kyoto treaty against global warming came into force today with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan urging the world to save the planet by adding to the limits on greenhouse gases and the UN environment chief stressing that many in the United States, the world's top polluter, support the protocol despite the US Government's opposition." More...
Day 6 - Giants Amani Toomer and Chiefs Tony Richardson Arrive in Sri Lanka
J. Ethan Medley, NY Giants
February 16, 2005
The second leg of our two week journey with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) began today as Amani, Yola and I arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka at 4am. After getting a few precious hours of sleep, we all headed down to the hotel lobby to grab a bite to eat and meet the Sri Lanka WFP staff that would accompany us for the remainder of our trip. Also accompanying us on the rest of our trip is Tony Richardson, fullback of the Kansas City Chiefs, who was arriving straight from his victory in Honolulu in the NFL Pro Bowl.
Day 5 - Amani Toomer Arrives in Sri Lanka, Kurt Warner Returns Home
J. Ethan Medley, NY Giants
February 15, 2005
Our final day in Indonesia was a restful one. Kurt Warner and his wife, Brenda had a departing flight for the United States late in the morning, while Amani, Yola, myself and the rest of the World Food Program staff who we are traveling with had most of the afternoon to spend in our hotel before our evening flight for Colombo, Sri Lanka, with a stop along the way in Singapore.
Day 4 - Kurt Warner and Amani Toomer Visit Indonesia
J. Ethan Medley, NY Giants
February 14, 2005
Today was our final day in Banda Aceh, on the northern coast of Indonesia. It began with a press conference at 10am, where numerous reporters came out to speak with Kurt, Brenda, Amani and Yola, and to hear more about our trip so far. The local media in Indonesia also expressed appreciation for our visit, with the hopes that it will keep America's attention on the rebuilding effort, which will take years to complete. The town's Media Center had before-and-after aerial photos of Banda Aceh, which clearly showed the difference in the land since December 26. We also received confirming news that on the unprotected coast, the 20-foot tsunami hit land at an estimated 500 miles an hour. We heard previously that the wave hit with the speed of a plane, but found it hard to believe. Unfortunately, the already enormous death toll continues to rise, as over 1,000 bodies are still being found here each day as the cleanup continues.
Day 3 - Kurt Warner and Amani Toomer Visit Indonesia
J. Ethan Medley, NY Giants
February 13, 2005
Sunday morning got off to an early start for almost everyone in out tent, as the combination of humidity, mosquito netting and time zone differences had everyone unable to sleep past 4am. Amani, Kurt, Yola, and I grabbed chairs outside in an effort to take advantage of the only palatable temperatures that the day would offer. At 4:30, the calls to mosque sounded out from all sides of town and continued for over an hour. Four hours later, the day got off to an even shakier start, as a fairly mild, but sustained earthquake shook our camp. Not long after, the vibrations returned during aftershocks. We were told later that the quake registered in the 5's on the Richter Scale. It was enough to shake our tents and chairs, but not quite big enough to cause any damage.
Day 2 - Kurt Warner and Amani Toomer Visit Indonesia
J. Ethan Medley, NY Giants
February 12, 2005
Today was our second day in Indonesia, and started with a 6AM flight from Jakarta Halim Military Airport to the coastal region of Banda Aceh on a United Nations Humanitarian Air Services plane. This gave us our first glimpse of the damage caused by the tsunami as we flew over the coastline. Vast amounts of coastal land are blackened and vacant, with the exception of an occasional structure that was sturdy enough to withstand the water's force. Contrastly, there are areas immediately next to this land, that the water did not reach, which are spectacular to the eye: vibrant green rice patties, villages built amongst palm trees and mountains covered with vegetation that drops right into the blue ocean.