UN SEEKS $64 MILLION FOR HUMANITARIAN AID TO LIBERIA

UN SEEKS $64 MILLION FOR HUMANITARIAN AID TO LIBERIA
New York, Nov 6 2007 3:00PM
The United Nations and its partners in Liberia today appealed for $64 million to meet urgent humanitarian needs in the country for the remainder of this year and the first half of 2008.

"Despite some improvements in political, security and the socio-economic conditions of Liberians, humanitarian needs do still remain," <"http://www.unmil.org/article.asp?id=2498">said UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Liberia Jordan Ryan. The appeal covers water and sanitation, health and agriculture.

Donors have already provided some $46 million to the 2007 Common Humanitarian Action Plan, which was launched in February of this year. The humanitarian community determined that a total of $110 million will be required to help meet the basic social services of the Liberian people, who have suffered from years of civil strife.

In another development, nearly 300 young boys and girls in Charlesville – some 100 kilometres northwest of Monrovia – are benefiting from improvements to their school made by Pakistani troops serving with the UN Mission in Liberia (<"http://www.unmil.org/article.asp?id=2499">UNMIL). The blue helmets provided fresh paint and a new roof, and fully furnished the classrooms.

At a ceremony marking the hand-over of the school to the local authorities, Mr. Ryan expressed appreciation to the contingent for their contribution to the children's and Liberia's development, stressing that "education is vital for the future of Liberia."

He emphasized the crucial importance of giving equal educational opportunities to both girls and boys, and urged parents to make good use of the newly renovated facility so that their children grow up in a safe, clean and healthy environment.

By "adopting" the school, the Pakistani contingent has committed itself not only to the rehabilitation and maintenance of the school's premises, but also to additional support, including providing regular medical services for the children and distributing stationary and uniforms, UNMIL said.

Meanwhile, the top United Nations envoy in Liberia today paid tribute to three crew members who died when a UN helicopter crashed last week. A probe on the cause is continuing but the mission has said there is no evidence to indicate that any foul play was involved.

Pilot in Command Vitali Drozdov, Co-Pilot Sergey Kolosov and Flight Engineer Nikolai Zhorikov, all Russian nationals, lost their lives when the MI-8 cargo helicopter crashed on last Friday near Ganta in north-eastern Liberia.

"We all feel touched by this tragedy because we fly with you day in day out," UNMIL chief Alan Doss, <"http://www.unmil.org/article.asp?id=2501">told senior staff of UTAir at a meeting at the Mission's headquarters in Monrovia, conveying condolences and offering the UN's assistance in the arrangements being made for the repatriation of the three bodies to the Russian Federation.

Extensive investigations into the crash are continuing under the leadership of the Liberian Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA) with the full support and cooperation of UNMIL's Aviation Safety Unit.

In addition, international aviation experts from the UN and the Russian Federation, including the Senior Management team of UTAir plus representatives of the Russian Civil Aviation Authority, are expected in Liberia tomorrow to assist with the investigations.
2007-11-06 00:00:00.000

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