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| Southeast Asia |
| UNforgivable |
| 2005-01-20 |
| The wall of water that swamped South Asia carried away lives and buried the dreams of a generation. The only thing it uncovered: the lethargy of the United Nations. The world`s global body may yet become another victim of the crisis. Paul Toohey reports. THE UNITED NATIONS is good with red tape but it also likes black. When staff arrive in a crisis area before its Land Rovers are shipped in, they commandeer local vehicles and use gaffer tape to fashion the initials “UN” on door panels, letting everyone know Kofi Annan’s people are around. But two weeks after the tsunami hit Aceh in north-western Indonesia, there were no black initials to be seen. Nor was there a single UN plane or helicopter at Banda Aceh airport – even though the UN was pumping out press releases from New York claiming credit for saving Acehnese lives. “I can’t tell you that we’ve actually reached every spot but we’re closing in, if you will, on the spots we’ve not reached before, particularly on the western coast of Sumatra, with great help from the foreign militaries and utilising their helicopters,” said UN Coordination and Response Director, Kevin M. Kennedy, from New York on January 10. The UN’s use of “we” and its claim that foreign militaries were offering “help” to the UN relief effort was deceptive. The UN was not controlling the rescue; at that stage, it was not even involved. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #1 The only thing it uncovered: the lethargy of the United Nations. The tsunami didn't uncover anything that anyone with half a brain didn't already know. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-01-20 11:25:11 AM |