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Emergency appeal launched by UN agencies

    JOHANNESBURG
    Namibia's worsening HIV/AIDS pandemic, severe poverty and erratic weather have resulted in more than 600,000 women and children being in desperate need of food, two UN agencies have said. The World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday launched an emergency appeal, noting that "tens of thousands of children and their families will face severe difficulties in the coming months, unless international assistance is forthcoming". Research shows that the country's HIV/AIDS rate soared from just four percent in 1992 to 22 percent by 2002, with at least 120,000 children estimated to have lost one or both parents to AIDS-related illnesses. WFP regional director for Southern Africa, Mike Sackett, said: "A swift response is needed to contain the crisis and give the government time to build up its capacity during this acute emergency."

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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