UN WARNS OF ACUTE HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IN EASTERN MALI

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: UNNews <UNNews@un.org>
Date: 28 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400
Subject: UN WARNS OF ACUTE HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IN EASTERN MALI
To: news11@ny-mail-p-lb-028.ptc.un.org

UN WARNS OF ACUTE HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IN EASTERN MALINew York, May 28
2013 1:00PMThe United Nations relief wing today warned of severe
humanitarian needs in Gao in eastern Mali, including the need to
rehabilitate the water supply and increase food assistance.

Gao was among the areas affected by the fighting that broke out last
year in northern Mali between Government forces and Tuareg rebels,
after which radical Islamists seized control of the area. The crisis
uprooted hundreds of thousands of civilians and led to a dire
humanitarian crisis.

A recent inter-agency mission to Gao, led by UN Humanitarian
Coordinator for Mali Aurélien Agbénonci, found that rehabilitating the
water supply is imperative to urgently assist the population of some
70,000 people in the city, as is increasing food assistance.

Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination for
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told reporters in Geneva that the amount
of drinking water available to people has fallen 60 per cent over the
past weeks.

There was food distribution ongoing to about a third of the population
in Gao, but that covered only part of the needs, according to the
mission participants.

"Water is a main issue: some neighbourhoods in Gao did not have water
at all due to dysfunctional pumps and lack of electricity," said Mr.
Laerke. "Outside of the city, the situation is even worse because the
Niger River was the only source of water and there were concerns about
cholera outbreaks."

He said that 22 cases of cholera had been registered in May, and two
people had died. No new cases had been reported in the past five days,
however, but the risk of cholera remained high.

OCHA has deployed two staff to Gao and is in the process of opening an
office. In total, there are more than 100 humanitarian organizations
in Mali. The $410 million humanitarian appeal for Mali is 29 per cent
funded as of today.

Providing an update on schools in the north, Marixie Mercado of the UN
Children's Fund (UNICEF) told reporters that 42 per cent of schools in
Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu are now functional, with 100,000 students
being taught by 23,000 teachers. This is mostly in the urban areas
since there is still a high level of insecurity in the rural areas,
and across the region the lack of infrastructure and logistical
resources is still a major constraint.

Ms. Mercado added that there is still a major chronic malnutrition
crisis across the country, particularly in the south where 90 per cent
of the population live.

UNICEF expected that in 2013, some 210,000 children will require
life-saving treatment for malnutrition and 450,000 children will also
suffer from a less severe, but still debilitating, form of
malnutrition.

Meanwhile, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said today that
with the first round of presidential elections in Mali due on 28 July,
consultations were under way between the interim Malian Government and
refugee-hosting countries on including refugee populations in the
voting. These consultations were expected to be followed by bilateral
agreements that would form the basis of the electoral process in each
of the main refugee-hosting countries.

"While details of the out-of-country electoral process are still being
worked out, UNHCR is ready to facilitate the exercise by refugees of
their right to vote," <"http://www.unhcr.org/51a48a689.html">said
UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards.

According to the agency, some 174,000 Malians have found refuge in
neighbouring countries since the conflict began in January 2012.
Burkina Faso hosts 50,000 refugees, Mauritania 74,000 and Niger
50,000. Smaller groups of Malian refugees are also in Algeria.

"UNHCR supports the voluntary participation of refugees in the
elections, although our role will be limited to a strictly
humanitarian and non-political one," Mr. Edwards stated.

In conjunction with refugee-hosting countries and refugees, UNHCR will
facilitate space for dialogue on the electoral process, and for
registration of voters. It is expected that registration of voters in
camps and outside camps will be the responsibility of the Malian
electoral commission, who would work with host governments to
establish voting lists.

UNHCR has previously facilitated out-of-country voting by refugees in
South Sudan in 2011, in Iraq in 2010 and in Afghanistan in 2004.May 28
2013 1:00PM
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

Follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/UN.News.Centre) and
Twitter (http://twitter.com/UN_News_Centre)

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to: http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/


--
President of The United States
Guy Ralph Perea Sr President of The United States
Weatherdata1046am0426 a Discussion Group of
Weatherdata<http://groups.google.com/group/weatherdata1046am0426>
USFMSC
http://www.cityfreq.com/ca/avalon/>
QUALIFY QICP
OCCUPS
http://www.occupationalinfo.org/02/025062010.html
goldlandabstracts; link check
own search engine - The United
States International Policies
http://apps.facebook.com/faceblogged/?uid=1340855784
http://lnk.ms/8d5gl aol
http://groups.google.com/group/united-states-of-american
http://twitter.com/ptusss Federal Communication
Commission<http://columbiabroadcast.spaces.live.com/>

Ambassador Chevy Chase; Kevin Corcran; Jack Nickolas; Cher; Shirley Temple
Black; Liza Minnille; Ansari; Ernest Tascoe; Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act
Agent Jodie Foster; Department of Veterans Affairs Director George H.W. Bush
Title 22 USCS section 1928 (b) The e-mail
transmission may contain legally privileged information that
is intended only for the individual or entity recipient, you are hereby,
notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or reliance upon the
contents of this E-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
E-mail transmission in error, please reply to the sender, so arrangements
can be made for proper delivery. Title 42
USCS section 192 etseq Margie Paxton Chief of Childrens Bureau
Director of The United States Department of Human Services; Defendant
Article IV General Provisions Section 2
(Supreme Law of The Land) The Constitution of The United States "Any thing
in The Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary Notwithstanding"
Contrary to Law (of an act or omission) illegal;
https://twitter.com/presidentus1