CENTRAL AND EASTERN AFRICA: UN humanitarian funding "poor"

OCHA has released the latest funding figures for UN inter-agency consolidated humanitarian appeals for 1999. The countries of the Great Lakes and central and eastern Africa make up the majority of needs in Africa. The regional appeal for the Great Lakes is only 27 percent funded, while additional appeals for individual countries in the region are funded from a level of only two percent up to 12 percent. A UN Great Lakes official told IRIN the "poor" results show the weak "drawing power" of the region compared to other crises, despite well over three million people being affected by the central African crises. "It's not like Kosovo's the only thing happening," he added. Appealed Received as of 20 April (US $ million) (US $ million) Great Lakes regional 240.7 85.7 (as of 29 April) Burundi 38.1 0.7 DRC 17.4 1.6 Uganda 8.1 0.9 Tanzania 9.5 0.3 Sudan 198.4 18.7 Somalia 65.7 8.5 (figures rounded to one decimal point)