By HAMZA GULZAR

Tuesday, 14 October 2008.

WWW.AHMEDQURAISHI.COM

LAHORE, Pakistan—A few weeks ago I received an email which showed the ‘strut’ of Mr. Zardari’s English skills.

Although one of my friends doubted its credibility my own belief in its truth was reinforced by Ardeshir Cowasjee’s latest column that was published just a few days ago. There isn’t any reason to doubt a man whose sheer sincerity, courage and patriotism makes many of us Muslim Pakistanis look like morons. Our new President’s heroics just don’t end here. He has committed much greater sins.

After going for his first official visit to the United States, the Pakistani President spends half his time at the U.N. mourning the loss of his ‘beloved’ wife. Yet he finds time to flirt with an American Presidential candidate and his foreign girlfriends.

For Mr. President to say and do such things when his country is the target of suicide bombings, a complete economic meltdown and mounting international pressure on various issues, Pakistani President Asif Zardari certainly looked more like an immature playboy than the President of a nuclear armed country.

Apart from the Sarah Palin debacle, we’ve seen other instances where our President has shown himself to be ignorant of ground realities. Even a Pakistani fruit vendor knows better. Mr. Zardari thinks that the world has become a much safer place because of President Bush’s ‘leadership’. He has been constantly saying that anyone not agreeing with his government would be thrown out, obviously referring to the military.

In short, the honorable President of Pakistan has made a fool out of himself and the people he (unfortunately) represents.

These feudal ‘democrats’ have never drawn a line between their private lives and their public engagements primarily because they’ve never differentiated between the two. They think they own the country for the sheer number of land holdings that they have. Nothing clarifies it more than Zardari’s recent interview to Fox News where he claimed that even his daughter could be the President. A President symbolizes the will and character of a nation. Therefore anything he does is seen as a reflection of the aspirations of his people. In that context Asif Ali Zardari just doesn’t have what it takes to be a President. Voting can get you elected, sir, but it is your leadership that gains you respect.

Everyday I see our ‘experts’, thinkers and political analysts talk about the fact that the ‘new democratic’ government must be given ample time to play its role, after all the military has had more than its share of power. Nothing can be more naïve. For one should ask these anchormen and ‘accomplished’ analysts whether we are a democracy in the first place. The people of Pakistan did not vote for the PPP to hear Kashmiri freedom fighters being called terrorists nor did they did vote for the ISI to be put under an unaccountable Zardari loyalist with a tainted history.

Did the people of Pakistan vote for isolating our friend China and the complete and senseless American subservience by this government? Do they accept incompetent personal goons being raised to the echelons of power in every department and institution, from diplomats to ministers? If the answer to these questions is in the negative then are we truly living in a democracy?

My prayer is no different than our President’s: may God give us the strength to save Pakistan. But I’m better than the President of Pakistan, at least I got the spellings right.

Mr. Gulzar is a Pakistani college student based in Lahore studying LLB (Hons.). He can be reached at hamza.gulzar@gmail.com

In India, cricket star Sachin Tendulkar will be leading the campaign that will see children across South Asia simultaneously washing their hands.

The UN says it wants to get over the message that this simple routine is one of the most effective ways of preventing killer diseases.  (...)

(...) From Kabul to Karachi and from Delhi to Dhaka, millions of children will take part in the campaign and pledge to embrace more hygienic practices by the simple act of washing their hands.  India has recruited one of the country's biggest sporting icons, cricket star Sachin Tendulkar, to be the face of the campaign. Washing hands will be the topic of Afghan television and radio talk shows and Pakistani newscasts.  Nepal's new Maoist government is sending out mobile text messages. In Bhutan, special animated videos have been made with Bhutanese characters (...)

Read all BBCNews.co.uk

Associated Press

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Nearly 190,000 people have reportedly fled fighting between Pakistani troops and extremists near the border with Afghanistan, the United Nations said yesterday as fresh clashes in the area killed 17 extremists.

A Pakistani police commando leads a convoy of armed Pakistani people on patrol against Islamic militants in Mamoon Khataki Shabqader on the border of the tribal district of Mohmand Agency on October 9, 2008. A Polish engineer kidnapped two weeks ago in Pakistan by suspected Taliban militants appeared in a video address Tuesday urging the release of jailed Taliban fighters.(AFP/File/Tariq Mahmood)

Fighting is spreading across Pakistan's rugged northwest as the government cracks down on insurgents blamed for attacks on U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan and a campaign of suicide bombings against military and Western targets within Pakistan.

Most of the clashes are taking place in Bajur, where the Pakistani military launched a big offensive in early August.

The U.N. refugee agency said 20,000 Pakistanis and Afghans had fled Bajur into eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province since the fighting began.

Read the rest:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20081015_Near
ly_190_000_flee_fighting_in_Pakistan.html

Le contingent italien de la Finul a fait don au commandement de l’armée au Liban-Sud d’aides d’une valeur totale de 1,5 million d’euros, qui consistent en des quantités de carburant d’une valeur de 110 000 euros, de 60 jumelles nocturnes et de 1 463 pièces d’équipements antiémeute. Le don a été remis à l’unité de l’armée au cours d’une cérémonie organisée au deuxième siège du contingent italien à Chameh.

Dans une allocution, l’ambassadeur d’Italie Gabriele Checchia a affirmé que son pays et son gouvernement sont « fiers » de participer au renforcement de l’armée libanaise pour qu’elle soit « un élément principal dans le processus de défense de la terre, de la souveraineté, de l’indépendance et de la coexistence pacifique entre les différentes communautés ».

De son côté, le commandant du contingent italien, le général Vincento Ianuccelli, a souligné que ce don « est un autre pas dans l’application de la résolution 1701 du Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies » qui consiste à soutenir l’armée libanaise.

Briefing the UN Security Council on the latest developments in the strife-torn country, Kai Eide confirmed a "deteriorating (security) situation in last few months."

"In July and August, we witnessed the highest number of insecurity incidents since 2002," he said, with attacks up 40 percent compared with the same period last year.

He cited a decrease in attacks last month during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan but quickly added: "We now see an increase again in the number of incidents and we must expect that this number will continue to climb further over the next weeks."

In this regard, Eide noted that the insurgents had spread their influence of insurgents beyond the traditional areas in southern and the eastern Afghanistan. He also pointed to a hike in "asymmetric (unconventional warfare) attacks (by insurgents), some of them very sophisticated" and to more "and sometimes deadly attacks against aid-related and humanitarian targets, including against NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and UN personnel."

"We should not expect the same winter lull in the level of hostilities that we have experienced in past winters," Eide noted, while cautioning against "gloom-and-doom statements."

He highlighted three positive developments: improved relations between Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, last Saturday's government reshuffle in Kabul with the appointment of an interior minister committed to rooting out corruption and a 19 percent drop in output in opium producing regions.

DD

Source: United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)

Date: 13 Oct 2008

Print E-mail Save

Press conference by Dr. Abdullah Fahim, Spokesperson, Ministry of Public Health; Dr. Rana Grabar Kakar, Technical officer, World Health Organization; Dr. Nilab Mobarez, UNAMA Spokesperson's Office

Kabul – 13 October 2008

UNAMA: Salaam alaikum. Good morning everyone and a warm welcome to UNAMA's press conference today. I am Nilab Mobarez from UNAMA Spokesperson's Office. Our speakers today are Dr. Abdullah Fahim, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health and Dr. Rana Graber Kakar, a technical officer from World Health Organisation. They will update you on the current diarrhoeal disease we have seen in parts of Afghanistan over the last week or so and measures we can all take to protect ourselves and our families. Before I handover to our honourable guests, let me give you some updates on other United Nations activities.

15 OCTOBER - GLOBAL HAND WASHING DAY

The first ever Global Hand Washing Day, 15 October, is on Wednesday. Afghanistan will be among the 70 countries marking the day across five continents in an effort to mobilise and motivate millions around the world to wash their hands properly with soap.

Hand washing with soap is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent diarrhoeal disease and pneumonia, which together are responsible for approximately 3.5 million child deaths every year.

Diarrhoea diseases also count for 20 out 100 deaths of children in Afghanistan. By washing hands with soap, families and communities can help reduce child mortality rates from diarrhoeal diseases by almost 50 percent.

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2008 the International Year of Sanitation (IYS). Global Hand Washing Day reinforces the IYS's call for improved sanitation and hygiene practices.

There is a fact sheet on the side table available which provides facts about the day and its impact.

We will also bring you more information on activities that are planned around Afghanistan to highlight the day over the next two days.

16 OCTOBER - WORLD FOOD DAY

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) marks World Food Day this week on Thursday.

16 October 1945 was the day the organisation was founded in 1945 in Quebec City, Canada.

The World Food Day theme for 2008 is "World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy."

As always in Afghanistan, the FAO Representative in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture will mark the World Food Day, this year at Badam Bagh in Kabul.

The ceremony will include the inauguration of the National Seed Secretariat, which will become the umbrella institution for all seed industry functions in the country including seed variety research, seed production, quality and regulatory control, and seed marketing.

An exhibition of agricultural projects and activities of FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture will be on display and agricultural toolkits will be distributed to farmers who are the heads or members of co-operatives.

UN Agencies, international NGOs, Ambassadors, donors, representatives of Government authorities, Afghan farmers and national and international media are all invited to attend.

For further information, please collect a press release from FAO on the side table.

UNESCO CONCERNED OVER ROAD OPENING AT THE SITE OF HERAT MINARETS

The UN's Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) expresses its concern on the reopening of the road at the site of the Herat minarets, which was closed this summer following a decision of the Afghan provincial authorities in order to protect the 15th century historical site.

UNESCO has been actively working with the Afghan authorities to protect the historic heritage of Herat, and would like to call on the authorities to find an alternative solution to ensure the protection of the site and will continue to work closely with and support the Afghan authorities to achieve this.

UNAMA: I would now like to handover to Dr Abdullah Fahim, spokesperson of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) who will provide you with an update on the current diarrhoeal disease we have seen in parts of the country over the past week.

MoPH (translated from Dari): As in previous years, this year we are facing diarrhoeal disease in Afghanistan because of unsafe drinking water and a lack of health education. I would like to give you some statistics from the first months of previous years: for example, in the year 1385 (2006) we had an average of 164 cases of diarrhoeal disease in each clinic; while in 1386 (2007) it was 185 cases and this year we have so far registered 173 cases per clinic on average. So you can see there are no significant changes in the figures over the years. Due to the fact that the hot season continued longer than expected this year and coupled with drought, we have seen a slight rise in these figures compared to what we expected. We have received the first reports of this disease in the Achin district of Nangarhar province. The outbreak has been located mainly in five provinces - Nangarhar, Nuristan, Laghman, Samangan and Faryab - with 1,556 in-hospital patients and 2,431 patients were recorded on an out-patient department basis. We had a few other cases in seven other provinces. Out of almost 4,000 cases we had only 22 deaths due to this disease. These deaths all happened before outside any health facility. We are proud to say that all those who attended one of our health facilities got treated. The measures that the Ministry of Public Health have taken through the scientific research department of the Public Health Institute and an early warning system which is working on the cases of the disease, sampling, health education and proposals to tackle the problem have all worked well.

Other practical measures were regarding the control of the disease. Fortunately, the Ministry of Public Health had enough resources in the community itself and good experience in order to address this problem. In addition to the medicines that we had in the field, we sent for 15,000 chlorine tablets; fifty barrels of chlorine of 50 kilograms each; ORS (Oral Re-hydration Salts) and Doxycycline capsules which is the best antibiotic choice against cholera.

We faced problems in two areas of the country: one was due to security problems in the Mandol district of Nuristan province where we had to put in more time and effort to control the situation. The second area was Samangan. In the Aybak district of Samangan province, unfortunately due to drought and lack of safe drinking water, the people used unsafe water sources. We believe that there was not enough safe water brought to the area in tankers. So in this area, the cases go up and come down and it continues like this. So we feel that this problem requires more public awareness to educate people and more inter-sectorial assistance.

What concerns us the most is that while different types of cholera including Eltor and Anaba exist in our region - in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, they are not very virulent and will not create an epidemic. However, if proper measures are not taken the cases of cholera which have been seen in the deported population from Iran to Nimroz or to Samangan but also within those on the eastern border with Pakistan could rise.

That is why it is very important to communicate our public awareness messages through you – the media as much as possible and also we need the cooperation of our other government colleagues to bring safe drinking water to those areas in most need.

WHO: I am glad to be here today so that you can hear that the World Health Organisation and UNICEF and many of our other partners, are all eager and willing to assist the Ministry of Public Health in taking care of all the problems that they face but especially at this time with this outbreak of diarrhoea. As Dr. Fahim has mentioned, the outbreak has been in at least five provinces and everything is under control at present, except for Samangan and in Nuristan. As Dr. Fahim mentioned, the disease is spread by contaminated drinking water. The World Health Organisation along with other UN agencies are always emphasising that everyone has the responsibility to be sure that their drinking water is safe. You should always try to be sure that your drinking water is not contaminated by sewage, by waste, or by a septic tank.

In view of the current outbreak, you should boil your drinking water or use chlorine tablets to be sure that the drinking water that you have is safe. Sometimes people say we don't have a way of boiling our water or we don't have chlorine tablets. But you can even take the cleanest water you can find and put it in a clear plastic bottle and put it in the sun for several hours, the sun will kill the microbes responsible for the disease.

You should also be careful about other food that might be contaminated by bad water. For example, the raw vegetables that you buy in the market, you should be careful about the fruit and the vegetables. Before you eat them, if you are going to eat them raw, you should peel them. And if you don't eat them raw – you should cook them thoroughly. Cooking them will also kill the microbes. As was mentioned earlier, Wednesday is World Hand Washing Day. Hand washing is another way to prevent this disease. You should wash your hands before you prepare food or before you eat any food. Always wash your hands with soap. The Ministry of Public Health is managing the outbreak very well and they have taken all the necessary steps and we are working well with them. The health facilities are open - some of them are open 24 hours-a-day in case there are people with problems with diarrhoea. There are also some mobile teams which have gone to these areas.

If it happens that you or someone in your family becomes ill with diarrhoea, you should be sure that they continue taking fluids. For example, water or ORS or any kind of safe fluid that is available, any kind of liquid they should drink. If the diarrhoea is severe, they should be sure to go to the clinic, have treatment with the doctor. As Dr. Fahim said there have been some deaths from diarrhoea but they are the people that did not go to the clinic on time. Those who have gone to the clinic have received life-saving treatment that they need. It is very important to go to the clinic in time and not delay. We hope everyone will take responsibility to use clean drinking water for themselves and their families and wash hands thoroughly before eating. By taking these simple step – you can help prevent this disease.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

RFE/RL: (translated from Pashto): You said that if the international community does not assist Afghanistan then diarrhoea and in particular cholera will increase in the country. But you didn't mention what kind of assistance do you need? May I also know how WHO can help you?

MoPH: On this particular case, we need help in raising awareness and disseminating our messages to communities through you. The community should be encouraged to take an active part in keeping its environment clean and pay attention to sanitation issues. Studies show that 25 percent of Afghans have access to safe drinking water. We hope that the population that is in danger of being affected by diseases is provided with safe drinking water, at least on a temporary basis.

WHO: WHO supports the disease early warning system. This is one of the most important methods of control of an outbreak - to find out about them very early on. Right now we have in every province focal points who are reporting on these diseases. It is also important that everyone who hears about a disease reports it through the Ministry of Public Health and through the disease early warning system. WHO and UNICEF are supporting the Government of Afghanistan in this awareness campaign; in the chlorination campaign to make water safe and also in providing essential intravenous fluids and medicines for affected areas. There is a supply called the diarrhoea kit which has infusions, medicines, ORS and all the things you need to take care of patients when they come to the clinic. Of course we much prefer having patients not come to the clinic and that is why the awareness is very important and that is why we emphasise this and we don't want this outbreak to come to Kabul. Nobody should think that they are safe; they should try to drink clean water and take the measures we have outlined earlier.

UNAMA (translated from Dari): I would like to add on behalf of UNICEF – one of the five areas UNICEF works on is sanitation. Under the leadership of MoPH, UNICEF is working on digging wells, providing safe drinking water and in case of necessity providing basic health kits, particularly in remote areas where, for example refugees are coming to.

FARDA TV: (translated from Dari): As you mentioned there has not be a dramatic decrease in diarrhoeal disease in the last three years. What is the reason? You mentioned about 20 deaths, could you please tell us in which areas and why? Is this because the people who died didn't have access to health clinics or they were living in insecure areas? What is MoPH's plan on the prevention of the disease?

MoPH (translated from Dari): The main cause why this disease has not decreased is a lack of access to safe drinking water which are beyond MoPH's authority. Provision of water is the job of the Ministries of Urban Development and Rural Development. Contaminated water is the main cause of what we call seasonal diseases with an outbreak in the spring and summer months. Another reason is sanitation and environmental hygiene. Unfortunately we lack a sanitation and hygiene system even in Kabul. Poverty also leads to the outbreak of any disease. A low level of awareness of our compatriots in many parts of the country about personal hygiene and environmental hygiene is another reason behind the outbreak of the disease.

The factors which led to the deaths in areas such as Nuristan's Mandol and Laghman's Dawlat Shah districts were due to insecurity and remoteness of these areas as the people could not come to health centres. The factor in Aybak in Samangan was the severely contaminated water there which caused the deaths. MoPH's plans are to expand the provision of health services as a package to more of our compatriots and we have paid a lot of attention to disease prevention which includes the early warning system that has been very useful; and an awareness campaign to raise awareness in the community. The awareness campaign which will start on 15 October is one of MoPH's key activities.

IRNA (translated from Farsi): Please tell us about the number of clinics and recorded cases of Eltor in the west. The Government of Iran had promised to send some assistance to prevent the cholera outbreak in the west of the country. Did they send any assistance or was it not needed?

MoPH (translated from Dari): Among the cases of diarrhoeal disease reported, they are mainly from the five provinces of Nuristan, Laghman, Samangan, Balkh and Faryab. There are also cases reported among the deportees at the border, samples indicate that one or two positive cases of Eltor have been recorded. Fortunately our measures at the provincial level were enough to manage the treatment without any assistance outside of this country. Given the fact that some of the deported Afghans were positive [with Eltor] we believe and hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran, with their health system have already adopted some measures to tackle this problem. I do not think that at this stage we need any assistance at this level between our two countries. But Afghanistan is a country which welcomes assistance with open arms because we are still recovering. About this assistance if we do not need it now, we may find it useful for similar cases in the future.

SHAMSHAD TV (translated from Pashto): Reports in the media say that not only do the Taliban benefit from the narco-trade and poppy cultivation in Afghanistan but also some locals cultivate and produce poppy to make a daily living for themselves. The other issue is that it is said that some foreigners are involved in the narco-trade. What is UNAMA's view on this?

UNAMA (translated from Dari): Your question has two parts. Some Afghan farmers cultivate poppy because of poverty and others who benefit financially from poppy cultivation. We have discussed this issue several times previously from this platform - in press conferences with UNODC and the issue of alternative livelihoods to help farmers make a living with legitimate crops. These efforts are continuing; should go on; and no efforts should be spared to continue this.

There are certain people who do not need to cultivate it for their daily lives - they are doing this to become richer and cultivate thousands of acres of land - that is why they do it. There is a difference between these two groups. Ordinary people who need alternative livelihoods and a lot is happening in this regard. On the other hand there are people who do this solely for profit. Soon World Food Day will be celebrated and we announced that earlier. We have launched large projects on improved seed production in Afghanistan. In two days time, you will witness the establishment of the Secretariat for Improved Seeds. In different provinces and regions cooperatives have been established which from one side has increased the yields by 30 percent, and from the other side it has raised awareness among the public about alternative options to growing poppy. The second issue, that foreign hands are involved in the narco-trade: of course there is the issue of criminal groups being involved. We have no further information to add to this. If you have any specific information please do share this with the relevant security authorities.

PAJHWOK (translated from Dari): What is the latest assessment of the health situation in the five provinces and which are the seven provinces you mentioned earlier?

MoPH (translated from Dari): Kunar, Balkh, Sari Pul, Nimroz and Shakardara in Kabul. And there are some limited incidents also reported in Parwan and Khost. We have almost brought the disease under control, but we're not completely sure because of security in Nuristan. In Samangan, it is due to the lack of access to safe drinking water as I mentioned earlier. One day we come near to eradicating the disease and the next day we experience some new incidents being reported. In other provinces the situation is under control.

With the exception of public UN sources, reproduction or redistribution of the above text, in whole, part or in any form, requires the prior consent of the original source. The opinions expressed in the documents carried by this site are those of the authors and are not necessarily shared by UN OCHA or ReliefWeb.

Print E-mail Save

See all maps for this Emergency

By Emergency:

• Afghanistan

By Country:

• Afghanistan

By Source:

• United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)

By Type:

• Press Releases

FIND RELATED DOCUMENTS

By Emergency: Afghanistan
By Country: Afghanistan
By Source: United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
By Type: Press Releases

DD

Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)

Date: 13 Oct 2008

Print E-mail Save

Guinea-Bissau: Cholera epidemic not yet peaked

DAKAR, 13 October 2008 (IRIN) - The cholera epidemic is still out of control across Guinea-Bissau, with the number of cases doubling in the past three weeks, bringing the total number of people stricken to 10,476 as of 9 October.

There have been 312 new infections in the past two days, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), and 181 people have died from the disease.

"The epidemic is not under control. I don't want to be alarmist, but we haven't reached the peak and there are still new cases every day," Daniel Remartinez, emergency coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Spain, told IRIN from the capital Bissau.

At 7,143, Bissau still has the highest number of cases, followed by Biombo in western Guinea-Bissau with 1,405 cases, and the Bijagos islands, 60km off the coast of the capital, with 441 infections - most of the Bijagos infections contracted in the past few weeks, according to Agostino Betunda, co-director of the Centre for Epidemiology in Bissau.

One in 10 people stricken by cholera are dying from it in the region of Quinara, which neighbours the capital, and one in nine in Bafata in central Guinea-Bissau, due in part to a lack of available treatment, according to Betunda.

MSF is providing treatment in hospitals and health clinics in Bissau, Oio and Biombo regions.

Source found

Epidemiologists in Bissau have traced the first case of cholera to an island in the southern region of Tombali.

"Our research points to Guinean fishermen living in encampments on the island of Campeane near the Guinean border," Betunda said, adding that he believes the source of the epidemic is related to recent cases of cholera in Guinea. About 40 cases were reported in Guinea in May, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

"When there are cases in Guinea Conakry, often we have cases here," said Sylvana Nzirorera, UNICEF deputy representative in Guinea-Bissau.

"The epidemic in Guinea was contained very quickly because the government response was very organised," she said.

"There are no good sources of water on the island, so people cross the river to look for water. From there, it continued to proliferate throughout the region," the epidemiology centre's Betunda said.

Hygiene

Cholera is a recurring problem in Guinea-Bissau, particularly during the rainy months from June to October. A 2005 epidemic killed 400 people and infected over 25,000.

"We must look into the reasons why the country always has outbreaks. It is about lack of water infrastructure, but hygiene practices are also a major cause," said UNICEF's Nzirorera.

Nzirorera noted that under a third of Guinea-Bissauans believe that washing their hands will protect them from waterborne diseases like cholera. "This is a major problem," she said, "Even people who have water do not wash their hands systematically, and those that do, do not use soap."

UNICEF has put out radio announcements encouraging people to wash their hands regularly throughout the day. A UNICEF report investigating the causes of poor hygiene found that cultural practices play a role. "There is a saying [among some groups] that when a kid has dirty hands, he grows stronger," said Nzirorera.

The UNICEF report also found that stigma surrounding the disease contributes significantly to prevention efforts.

"Most people in villages think cholera is a shameful disease so they hide it," Nzirorera explains. "People are starting to link cholera with poor hygiene and they don't want to be seen as dirty."

Many people die at home or delay seeking treatment because they are ashamed to admit to the disease, she said.

End in sight

MSF's Remartinez said the number of infections is expected to peak in the coming weeks, though he said it will be months before the epidemic is over.

"It is difficult to say how many cases we will have at the end. But it will not be over with the end of the rainy season. It will last for some time - probably into November or December," he told IRIN.

Nzirorera was more optimistic. "The good news today is that Tombali region has not recorded any cases of cholera in the last four days," she said. "With the rains almost over, we could start seeing the end of the nightmare soon."

ft/aj/np

[END]

A selection of IRIN reports are posted on ReliefWeb. Find more IRIN news and analysis at http://www.irinnews.org

Une sélection d'articles d'IRIN sont publiés sur ReliefWeb. Trouvez d'autres articles et analyses d'IRIN sur http://www.irinnews.org

This article does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. Refer to the IRIN copyright page for conditions of use.

Cet article ne reflète pas nécessairement les vues des Nations Unies. Voir IRIN droits d'auteur pour les conditions d'utilisation.

With the exception of public UN sources, reproduction or redistribution of the above text, in whole, part or in any form, requires the prior consent of the original source. The opinions expressed in the documents carried by this site are those of the authors and are not necessarily shared by UN OCHA or ReliefWeb.

Print E-mail Save

See all maps for this Emergency

By Emergency:

• West Africa

By Country:

• Guinea-Bissau

By Source:

• United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)

By Type:

• News

Islamabad says the strikes are an infringement of its sovereignty and are counterproductive in the battle against militants. Pakistani civilian and military leaders have frequently protested over the US incursions into Pakistan's tribal region, with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani terming the attacks as an 'act of terrorism'. >>>>>

Acesta este si motivul pentru care, astazi, am deschis acest blog. Voi folosi scrisul ca o metoda de a ma exterioriza prin nenumaratele idei si "psihoze" ce ma apasa (si nu numai). Idei ce ma calauzesc de-a lungul propriei mele evolutii atingand, zi de zi, cate o noua "perfectiune subiectiva"

Cu speranta faptului ca veti gasi folositoare posturile ce vor urma, eu spun sa-i dam drumul :)

if (typeof(player) != 'undefined' && player instanceof PokkariQuicktimePlayer) {
document.write("<div style='float:left; margin: 8px 10px 5px 5px;'><a href='http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/'><img src='http://blip.tv/images/quicktime.gif' width='88' height='31' border='0' /></a></div>");
} korea and the iaea, problems in india, un in drcongo, syrian-lebanese diplomacy, israeli parliamentary proceedures, pirates, canada's elections, non-orwellian uk, french-german approach, un in georgia

Right.

Lebanon is suing Israel for ownership of its national foods, including falafel, hummus, and tabouleh. I am not making this up. The LA Times and Ha'aretz report:

"In a way the Jewish state is trying to claim ownership of traditional Lebanese delicacies like falafel, tabouleh and hummus" [Lebanese Industrialists Association Fadi] Abboud said. According to Abboud, the Lebanese are losing "tens of millions of dollars annually" because Israel is selling and marketing traditional Lebanese dishes.

"The Israelis are marketing our main food dishes as if they were Israeli dishes," he charged.

"We are working on registering all the foods and ingredients which will be submitted to the Lebanese government so it can appeal to the international courts against Israel," Abboud said.

"The Israelis are marketing such Lebanese delicacies under the same names and ingredients around the world," he added. "This is harming and causing great losses to Lebanon."

Wait, it gets better: There is a precedent!

Surely you've heard of the famous "Greek Feta cheese" precedent? Where Greece managed to prove ownership of Feta Cheese? You haven't heard?

This crazy world.

[HT: Mixed Multitudes]

Yummy photo by morbuto.

—Benjamin Schuman-Stoler

“Member States are bound to ensure respect for human rights and the rule of law as the fundamental basis in the fight against terrorism,” Mr. Ban wrote in a report on the implementation of a General Assembly resolution adopted last December.

A moral position can only be considered moral when it is applied equally across the board to incidents of a similar nature. Thus when the US condemns Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians, it must, by the same token, condemn Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians. Yet it doesn’t. It never has, and there is nothing to suggest that it ever will – unless the influence of the powerful Israeli lobby in Washington diminishes to the point that American politicians are no longer afraid to speak out against Israel when it does something wrong, such as killing Palestinian civilians. So strong is the Israeli lobby, however, that the possibility of such a change of heart ever occurring in America remains remote.

Ref: [http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=140692]

This also destroys the image of Jews, and people in world think that everything Israel is doing is by Jews and for Jews. Jews are requested to take these maters serious as it is showing them as a root of all evils.

Some Christians blame al-Qaeda for the attacks while others speculate that Kurdish elements might be involved as part of a political ploy to coerce minority sects into supporting Kurdish parties before forthcoming provincial elections. This allegation is strongly denied by the Kurdish authorities. >>>>>

There is still nothing conclusive as to which side or who did it.  This doesn't stop the West from capitalizing on this to make it appear as if Christians are not free under Islamic rule.  There is no Islamic rule in Iraq; and secondly, both Christians and Muslims in the region are both Iraqis and Arabs, excluding the Kurdish and other ethnic differentials.  This is a phony instigation effort to work towards continuing to divide the society into smaller groups, one especially that the West is nurturing to eventually help its agenda upon their resettlement in the region.

If I read the graph correctly by looking at the grey line, things haven't really "changed" at all and Al Gore, Stephane Dion, Elizabeth May and allot of "scientists" should go back to elementary school and try again.

Or should they refund to taxpayers the cost of their publicly-funded post-secondary educations?

The UN wants a human caused crises, like their aren't any real ones ?

(viene de http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2008/09/04/52-a-las-islas-galapagos-como-sea/)

A mí me gustaba el arroz.

No tanto como para comerlo blanco, pero me gustaba. Una buena cucharada de arroz ahogado en cualquier salsa, en yema de huevo amarilla y pegajosa, o mezclado con cebollitas picadas, ajos, especias y aceite de oliva podía ser una buena comida allí donde un paralelo y un meridiano nos ensartaran. Y eso que sólo hablo del arroz. La paella, lejos del Mediterráneo, es un sueño que provoca que uno termine mojando la cama. No, la cama no. La almohada, pobre, queda llena de babas.

Podría ser una paella como la que Jordi, el alma mater de Catering Cufí, me preparó hace un año en su casa de Granollers. Con langostinos gigantes, almejas, gambas, mejillones, sepia… Inmediatamente, ahora, las glándulas salivares comienzan a trabajar como locas esperando que yo cumpla con el deseo. ¡Una paella! Chas! ahí la tienes, así funciona la sociedad de consumo.

Pero estamos a un océano de distancia. Se necesita demasiado arroz para absorber tanta agua.

No comprendo esta pasión por el arroz, porque tampoco nací chino. Ni japonés. Me miro al espejo, no tengo los ojos rasgados. Y no me imagino a mi santa madre flirteando con el chino del nuevo minimercado del barrio. Pero preguntabas ¿arroz o pasta? y sin duda era arroz.

Y así fue hasta que el Comandante Donoso, segundo de la Dirección de la Marina Mercante de Ecuador, rompió las normas escritas y nos permitió viajar en un barco de carga a las islas de Colón, más conocidas como las islas Galápagos.

Dos días más tarde abordamos el Paola, un buque de carga comandado por el capitán Franco que lleva víveres al paraíso cada tres semanas.   

Un día después entramos en el Mar de la Paciencia.

¿De qué otra manera se puede llamar a esa superficie llena de, de, de océano que separa el Ecuador continental de las islas Galápagos? Eso es la nada, el hiperespacio, el interior de una lavadora, el sitio donde las estrellas descansan cuando se hace de día. El vacío. El estómago convulso de un borracho.

Durante la travesía, que dura más días que los tres que marca la bitácora, no hay nada que hacer. Incluso los marineros se estiran en sus camas y dejan pasar el tiempo abotargados por el aburrimiento. El cerebro activa el control automático. Se desayuna arroz las seis, se come arroz a las doce y se cena arroz a las seis. El resto del tiempo se dormita.

O se lanzan sedales esperando que pique algún dorado de más de un metro.

O se cocina plátano verde en la chimenea caliente del barco.

O se asesinan cucarachas que te caminan por el pecho mientras duermes.

O se releen periódicos viejos, noticias de hace una semana que envuelven la foto enmarcada de la familia. Noticias de un viaje anterior. O de más lejos.

El hombre llega a la luna. Cae el muro de Berlín. Se desmorona la Unión Soviética. El Atlético de Madrid se proclama campeón de liga.

En el Mar de la Paciencia no transcurre el tiempo, al Paola no llegan las noticias del día. No hay un bar en la esquina donde ignorar el noticiero para escuchar los comentarios de los parroquianos. En el Paola el alcohol no es necesario, el mar se encarga de marearte.

Entonces haces lo que no puedes hacer en tierra firme.

Mirar el cielo.

Esperar la próxima gaviota.

Contar las olas que rompen contra la quilla.

Escribir con las letras de la sopa: QUE, MAREO, JODER, CUANDO, LLEGAMOS.  

Buscar un pelícano en la soledad del océano.

O una ballena enamorada que se ponga a lanzar chorros de vapores húmedos a nuestro lado.

La tripulación usa el tiempo perdido en el limbo, en el Mar de la Paciencia, para hablar sobre los dos gringos que duermen en la enfermería.

-          ¿Gringo? Gringo es papito Bush –repito. –Soy blanquito, pero vengo del sur.

Y se ríen, menos mal.

Mientras atravesamos el Mar de la Paciencia, los marineros, maquinista y estibadores que no trabajan se esconden en su camarote a ver una película de artes marciales o se juntan en la popa a tomar café pasado. Esperan, aguantan, persisten, se detienen. Estar en un barco es vivir una pausa. Todavía falta un rato para que Enrique, el cocinero, prepare más arroz.

-          Chinos, ¡parecemos chinos! ¡Si hasta pasamos los días viendo películas de Bruce Lee! –sueltan por turnos, repiten un chiste gastado.

Allí están: Juanito, Clay, Fausto, Tomás (que me recuerda a mi hermano Diego), Italo, Johnny, Pastor, Nicar, Murillo, Jaime, Francisco y Floresmilo.

-          Sácale una foto a él, ¡sácale una foto! ¡Dale! –avisa Fausto. -¡Es King Kong! ¡Hace 10 años que lo conozco y es el tipo más feo del mundo!

Entonces Floresmilo ríe, no tiene vergüenza en enseñar el hueco gigante que hay entre sus colmillos. Por ahí pasa más de una papa frita. Hace unos años salvó la vida de Frank, el patrón del barco, cuando tres tipos armados con cuchillos fueron en su busca a primera hora de la mañana. Hay que estar desesperado para salir a robar tan temprano. El muelle estaba vacío y Floresmilo saltó desde la cubierta del barco con una barra de hierro. Los molió a palos.

Floresmilo es el tipo que uno siempre quiere tener de amigo.

Su madre lo parió en Esmeraldas, costa norte de Ecuador, tierra de negros y de esclavos liberados. Lo parió, sí, porque en esa época por allí no se nacía. Después de gritar e insultar a ese renacuajo negro que ya la estaba haciendo sufrir durante el parto, la buena señora se preguntó qué nombre le pondría a la pequeña bestia. Llevaba varios meses con una inflamación importante en el vientre pero todavía no había pensado en ese detalle. Miró a su alrededor. En la habitación había flores y una lata de Milo, ese sucedáneo de café o no sé qué.

-          Ya sé cómo le vamos a llamar.

Floresmilo. Mandahuevos.

(continuará)

PD:  Si te quedas con hambre y te gustan las historias que estás leyendo puedes conseguir un libro que editamos sobre el cruce de Africa en librerías de España y Perú. Se llama La Vuelta al Mundo en 10 Años: Africa. Encuentra más datos en http://viajeros4×4x4.wordpress.com/2007/02/03/la-vuelta-al-mundo-en-10-anos-africa/

North Korea has restored United Nations monitors' access to the Yongbyon nuclear site, including the plutonium reprocessing plant, diplomats say.

The decision comes a day after Pyongyang pledged to resume work to disable the plant.

On Saturday the country was taken off the United States' list of countries sponsoring terrorism.

There was no immediate comment from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the monitors' status.

Pyongyang began disabling its Yongbyon nuclear reactor in August as part of an international deal on its programme, but recently it made moves to reassemble the plant after Washington refused to remove North Korea from the terror blacklist.

On Saturday the US state department said North Korea had agreed to allow nuclear experts to take samples and conduct forensic tests at all its declared nuclear facilities and undeclared sites.

The North would also allow inspectors to verify its denials about transfers of nuclear technology and an alleged uranium programme, it said.

Read the rest:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7666987.stm

Though some speculate the hostility was only prompted by Christian protests ahead of provincial elections in 2009 to secure their threatened representation, the on-going campaign of violence against Christians in Iraq has driven out at least 900 Christian families. The families have fled in response to routine killings and constant threats to convert to Islam or face death. A source for AsiaNews recalled, ". . .yesterday, a car with a loudspeaker went around the streets in the neighborhood of Sukkar, ordering the Christians to leave." "Christians out of the city," the people on board were shouting, "otherwise you will be victims of more attacks."

One must not make light of the hundreds of Christians who took to the streets of Mosul in protest, either. Even the UN has criticized the country for scrapping a key clause in its legislation that would have guaranteed seats for Christians and other minorities in the upcoming elections. Though (hopefully until now) widely ignored by the media, the Christian population in Iraq has been reduced to half the size it was in 2003 and more and more families are fleeing each day in response to a campaign of killing and threats in which they seem to have no hope of defense.

image: Wildlife habitat is often disturbed by human activity.

Article

The world's governments will fail to meet their agreed target of curbing biodiversity loss by 2010, according to experts questioned by BBC News. Nearly 200 countries signed up to the target in 2002.

Ten leading conservationists asked here at the World Conservation Congress were unanimous that the goal cannot be met. All the global indicators of progress are heading in the wrong direction, and few governments have even translated the target into national legislation.

The Red List

Last week saw the publication of the Red List of Threatened Species, showing that between a quarter and a third of mammals are at risk of extinction.

It also saw the head of an EU-commissioned review into the economics of biodiversity loss say that degradation of forests worldwide cost the global economy more each year than the current banking crisis.

Rio Summit

The CBD was agreed at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, but not until 10 years afterwards did it acquire a firm, supposedly binding target - "to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on Earth".

WWF Response

"The biodiversity convention doesn't deal with cross-cutting issues such as logging, road building, climate change, pollution and the expansion of agriculture," said Gordon Shepherd, director of global policy at the environmental group WWF.

"In reality the people who own decision-making in those areas, be they in governments or in business, have much more power than environment ministers, who don't have tools to get to grips with over-use [of natural resources] or over-consumption."

International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

However, Sebastian Winkler from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said the time period from 2002 to 2010 was so short that we should not have expected to see any changes in the real world.

He suggested a different way of measuring the lack of progress - that only 16 governments have followed through on their commitment to integrate the 2010 target into national plans for tackling biodiversity loss. Mr Winkler runs an IUCN initiative called Countdown 2010, which aims to engage stakeholders across the world such as local authorities and get them to commit to actions that could improve prospects in their own regions.

Progress?

By March next year, governments must submit assessments of their own progress to the CBD, which will compile them into a global assessment.

Europe is the continent which has made most progress towards the target. According to one recent study, it is on course to curb biodiversity loss - but by 2050, rather than 2010.

Thomas Lovejoy, president of the Washington DC-based think-tank, the Heinz Center said, "There's no longer a question whether there will be a sixth major extinction in Earth history.  It's already happening, and the question is how big we'll allow it to get."