The Western world’s response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Africa caused by Aids and hunger was woefully inadequate, hypocritical and immoral, a top UN official said on Sunday.
While people in developed countries who contracted HIV could live for years, in Africa they were condemned to death, said Stephen Lewis, the United Nations’ top adviser on Aids in Africa.
”There must be something terrible with the moral quotient of the world,” he told a press conference at the start of a three day visit to Malawi.
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to about 70% of the world’s Aids infections. Aid workers say the epidemic has claimed the lives of about seven million agricultural workers since 1995, which has added to widespread food shortages. In southern Africa more than 14 million people are threatened by starvation.
The world’s response to this double humanitarian crisis had been very sluggish, said Lewis, a former Canadian legislator.
An appeal launched four years ago by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for countries to donate $10-billion to a fund to combat Aids, tuberculosis and malaria had to date only realised $2,1-billion, Lewis said.
No funding had been forthcoming to fight a rampant Aids epidemic in politically troubled Zimbabwe.
”This, regrettably, results in death in Africa — Aids is tearing apart the heart of Africa,” Lewis said.
”We know there is a lot of money out there, we know there is plenty food … but something must be profoundly wrong somewhere, something is morally wrong somewhere.”
Lewis, who went to Lesotho, Botswana and Zimbabwe before coming to Malawi, said he hope his visit would focus world attention on southern Africa’s humanitarian crisis. – Sapa-AP