News From the United Nations 11.4.08

The Spokesperson for the Secretary-General has issued a statement thanking the leaders of the Southern African Development Community for their efforts in organizing a leadership summit to address the still-contested Zimbabwe elections.  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is increasingly concerned with the electoral  crisis in Zimbabwe.  The electoral battle between Robert Mugabe and challenger Morgan Tsvangirai could worsen as regional drought threatens to compound the situation with added pressure economic instability. 

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The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has issued a report on the humanitarian situation in Somalia.  The report cites Food Security Analysis Unit’s claim that the situation in Somalia is “deteriorating faster than expected.”  The report states that  dry conditions throughout the region have contributed to higher levels of disease and malnutrition.  The report also cites food security analysts and weather forecasters’ predictions that “full blown impact” of the drought will be flet between July and August, 2008.

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The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has issued a report that predicts cereal import prices will rise significantly for the world’s poorest countries this year.  The report states that prices will rise by 56 percent and contribute to increases in malnutrition.  Concurrently, the World Food Programme (WFP) is preparing a report on the impact of higher food prices in the world’s 30 poorest countries. 

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Next week at the United Nations:
- In Vienna, the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention will meet in Vienna.
- Oslo will host a conference on the importance of statistics in understanding climate change information.
- On Friday, April 18th, Pope Benedict XVI will be at the United Nations in New York.