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U.N. seeks record high amount in global aid
Associated Press
Published December 1, 2005
UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations appealed Wednesday for a record $4.7-billion to ease major humanitarian crises around the world in 2006, with about a third slated for Sudan and the conflict in its Darfur region.
The appeal, which covers 31-million people mainly in Africa and Southeast Asia, is worth the equivalent of 48 hours of worldwide military spending, the U.N. said.
The U.N. has never asked for so much money in its appeal to start the year. In the past, the U.N. usually split major disasters and crises for their own fundraising.
Countries in need include African nations that have long been in crisis, including Chad, Congo, Liberia, Somalia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Also on the list are Chechnya, the Palestinian territories, Colombia and Nepal.
Donors around the world met just 57 percent of last year's worldwide appeal, which started out at $1.7-billion and focused on forgotten crises. By the end of the year, after the South Asian tsunami and other disasters, appeals ended up reaching $5.9-billion, and the U.N. said some $766-million hasn't been pledged or donated.
A problem is that 90 percent of aid comes from just 10 nations, including the United States, Japan and several Scandinavian nations.
[Last modified December 1, 2005, 01:08:09]
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