DATE=4/6/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=ANNAN / HORN OF AFRICA (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-261009
BYLINE=SABINA CASTELFRANCO
DATELINE=ROME
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan is
calling for quick action and generous support from the
international community in helping starving people in
the Horn of Africa region. Mr. Annan said as many as
16-million people could be affected in more than half-
a-dozen countries in the region. Sabina Castelfranco
reports from Rome
TEXT: The United Nations secretary general expressed
his concern about the situation in the Horn of Africa,
where millions of people are facing starvation after
poor rains and successive crop failures.
Kofi Annan, in Rome for a meeting of representatives
from the three U-N food agencies based in the city,
said he has appealed to the international community to
give generously in the face of the devastating famine
that has struck northeastern Africa.
/// ACT ANNAN ///
I think we can save many lives if we act and act
now.
/// End Act ///
Mr. Annan has designated the executive director of the
World Food Program, Catherine Berthini, as his special
envoy for the Horn of Africa. Ms. Berthini will be
travelling to the region next week to assesses the
situation. The purpose of her visit is to ensure that
U-N efforts to alleviate the suffering will be more
effective.
/// ACT BERTHINI ///
Since there is enough food in this world to
assure that no one has to starve, it's our job
to convince the donors that now is the time to
make the contributions so that we can keep
millions of people alive.
/// End Act ///
Secretary General Annan said a task force is also
being established to work on food security for the
Horn of Africa because this is the second time in 15
years that the region has been plagued by a food
shortage.
/// ACT ANNAN ///
I think in the face of such misery, we all need
to wake up and our consciousness and conscience
should propel us to act, and I hope I am
speaking for all of us. I think our common
humanity demands that we act and I appeal for us
to act, and act promptly.
/// End Act ///
Mr. Annan will meet Pope John Paul in the Vatican on
Friday. The U-N secretary general said he will talk
about the pope's recent trip to the Middle East.
/// ACT ANNAN ////
I will talk to the pope about peace, about the
situation in the world and I would hope that he
will also share with me some of his impressions
from this trip. I once told the pope that we
are -- he and myself -- are in the same
business. We both work for peace but we use
different means. So we will talk about peace.
/// End Act ///
Secretary General Annan also said the pope's Middle
East visit was a positive one in which he took a
message of reconciliation and peace to a region where
it is badly needed. (Signed)
NEB/SC/GE/JP
06-Apr-2000 10:30 AM EDT (06-Apr-2000 1430 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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