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  UN, NGO and General News Round-Up - Posted By: Richie
International aid workers and peacekeepers in the troubled Sudan region of Darfur are at risk after the indictment against President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes, his adviser said on July 22. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has sought an arrest warrant for Bashir for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity which rights groups have hailed but some analysts warned could derail the fragile peace process in the country. Bona Malwal said if an arrest warrant was issued, one of the next casualties would be international peacekeeping operations in Darfur. (Reuters)
Meanwhile, Sudan has agreed to try anyone it suspects of crimes in Darfur in Sudanese courts and will allow the UN, African Union and Arab League to follow the proceedings, an Arab League official said on July 22. The move appeared aimed am defusing a crisis over a decision by the ICC prosecutor to seek an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. But it would be up to Sudan to decide who to try, and Arab League official Hesham Youssef could not say if two Sudanese officials indicted by the ICC last year would face charges. (Reuters)
The WHO has urged Asian countries to take action against the growing threat of drug-resistant tuberculosis, warning that even more virulent forms of the disease could spread if they fail to do so. WHO said many Asian countries lack adequate laboratory facilities to detect multidrug-resistant TB, and only 1 percent of the estimated 150,000 people infected with the disease in East Asia and the Pacific are receiving appropriate treatment. "No country in the region is rushing to fight multidrug-resistant TB," said Dr. Pieter Van Maaren, WHO's Western Pacific regional adviser for tuberculosis . He said Asian leaders "need to wake up and realize what is at risk. This is a disease that you can transmit in a cough to your children."
Researchers in South Africa are investigating whether taking AIDS drugs daily will prevent infections among gay and bisexual men, in the latest effort to combat the epidemic. In a study launched on July 22, researchers want to find out whether antiretroviral drugs normally used by people already carrying the HIV virus could protect those at higher risk of infection, a concept referred to as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The study targets men who have sex with other men because they have been found to be at higher risk of HIV infection than other sexual groups.
The UN food agency says it urgently needs USD 222 million to avert a major food crisis in Ethiopia, where millions are struggling to cope with drought and high prices. The Ethiopian government and the United Nations estimate that 4.6 million people in the Horn of Africa country will need emergency food aid to tide them through to the next harvest in November, Reuters reported. Another 5.7 million who receive food and cash for work under a regular welfare scheme live in areas where drought is biting and need extra help.
Drought, conflict, hyperinflation, high food and fuel prices, the weakness of the Somali shilling and a succession of poor harvests have increased the number of people needing food and other assistance to 2.6 million - up 40 percent from January. Mark Bowden, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, warned July 22 that "we are months before a major crisis" as the situation was likely to deteriorate further, potentially affecting 3.5 million, or half the total population. Bowden said that it was the responsibility of the humanitarian community to provide assistance and seek ways to address the crisis.
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