[afro-nets] Millions of Southern African Children Need More Aid

[Dr Rana Jawad Asghar <jawad@alumni.washington.edu>]

Millions of Southern African Children Need More Aid, U.N. Says
--------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, February 26, 2004

The future of millions of children in six southern African coun-
tries is threatened by funding shortages for aid projects, U.N.
agencies warned today at the launch of the Midterm Review of the
Consolidated Appeal for Southern Africa.

The United Nations has so far received $24 million for non-food
activities, although agencies require about $164 million to
cover the urgent needs in these sectors for the July 2003 to
July 2004 period.

"After millions of children have been saved from starvation, it
is tragic that their lives now remain at risk from a lack of
clean water, adequate sanitation and proper health care," said
James T. Morris, U.N. special envoy for humanitarian needs in
southern Africa. "Unfortunately, without additional funds, cru-
cial projects in these fields will have to be scaled back, while
others may never be implemented at all."

The six countries - Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zam-
bia and Zimbabwe - need funds to help orphans and vulnerable
children, who face enormous hardships, including lack of access
to food, health care and education.

"The world must provide more money. We cannot afford to let
these children down, because if we do, we will have failed an
entire generation and an entire region," Morris said (U.N. Of-
fice for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs release / Re-
liefWeb, Feb. 26).


--
Dr Rana Jawad Asghar
Program Manager Child Survival, Mozambique
Provincial Coordinator Sofala Province, Mozambique
Health Alliance International, Seattle, WA, USA
http://depts.washington.edu/haiuw/
Coordinator South Asian Public Health Forum
http://www.saphf.org
mailto:jawad@alumni.washington.edu
http://www.DrJawad.com