A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
Blogicus: “Mike Sackett, the World Food Programme’s Regional Southern African director, has revealed that 8.6 million people in southern Africa need food aid up to harvest in April 2006. Over 4.3 million of these are in Zimbabwe.”
Mercury Rising: “The Next Time Somebody Mentions “The Oil-for-Food Scandal” we should make it a point to bring up this: “Both Republicans and Democrats appeared taken aback by the volume of cash sent to Iraq: nearly $12 billion over the course of the U.S. occupation from March 2003 to June 2004, said a report by Rep. Henry A. Waxman.”
Water Well: “Water shortages will leave world in dire straits – More than half of humanity will be living with water shortages, depleted fisheries and polluted coastlines within 50 years because of a worldwide water crisis, warns a United Nations report out Monday.”
Coalition for Darfur: “Kofi Annan to Visit Starving in Niger – From Reuters: “U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan will visit Niger next week to highlight the impact of food shortages affecting millions of people in the West African country, Niger government officials said on Wednesday.”
Gateway Pundit: “Zimbabwe is planning to resume the “Cleanup” of illegal vendors weeks after it stopped the controversial practice: Zimbabwe last month declared an end to its controversial demolitions of shantytowns, dubbed “Operation Restore Order,” after a critical U.N. report said the operation had destroyed the homes or jobs of at least 700,000 people…. The government has asked for help from the international community including the United Nations to build new housing for thousands of homeless residents.”
News Nuclear: “UN convenes scientists to study nuclear power plant risks from natural disasters – Seeking to prevent nuclear power plant disasters from being unleashed by natural calamities, the United Nations atomic watchdog agency is organizing an international scientific workshop in India this month to re-examine risks from events such as last December’s catastrophic tsunami in the Indian Ocean.”
Republic of T: “More on the growth of child prostitution in Iraq, which I posted about earlier: “A United Nations report has revealed that an alarming number of young teenage boys in Iraq are being forced into prostitution by street gangs or poverty due to the ongoing conflict in their country.”
Sudan Watch: “A report by the Press Association in this morning’s Scotsman says UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has accused Sudanese rebels of increasing abductions, extortion and banditry in a “descent into lawlessness” that has intensified insecurity in Darfur.”