29 July 2004

More NZ aid for Darfur

New Zealand is increasing its commitment to the international aid response for Darfur in Western Sudan with a further $1 million, Aid Minister Hobbs announced today. This brings New Zealand’s humanitarian assistance to Sudan to $4 million.

Some 30,000 people are thought to have been killed and 2.2 million left in need of emergency food aid and medical assistance following the flare-up of fighting in the area 15 months ago.

"The extra funds will support humanitarian work by New Zealand NGOs working with their partners on the ground in Darfur and in neighbouring countries," Marian Hobbs said.

"NZAID, the government’s aid agency, will work with our NGO community to fast-track allocation of the extra funds so they can help meet the urgent and escalating needs of the Sudanese population."

Last month, the government contributed $2 million to the World Food Programme and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The New Zealand Red Cross and Médecins sans Frontierès (Doctors Without Borders) have each received $500,000 for their work in Sudan.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>