WORLD NEWS October 19,2f)§5
State of Disaster in Malawi Pkoto^mpliij Contest
MELINDA BOWUNG
Staff Writer
According to Associated
Press, the African nation of
Malawi has declared a state
of disaster. The president
made the decision on Satur
day, based on a terrible food
crisis. They are calling for
more intemational aid.
On top of famine, Malawi
is facing a shortage of maize,
a staple for their nation.
This year is threatening to
be the worst in a decade for
hunger, partly because high
HIV infection rates have left
farmers too sick to plant or
tend their crops. The presi
dent, Bingu wa Mutharika,
has said that the crisis is
threatening five million of
the country’s eleven million
people.
Heavy rain has added to
the misery of millions of
homeless victims in Paki
stan only a week after their
worst recorded earthquake.
The downpours have briefly
grounded relief flights, and
thus prevented the delivery
of much-needed medicine
and tents. There are an es
timated two million people
currently lacking shelter
with the approaching threat
of Himalayan winters.
Any more delays are said to
be potentially catastrophic.
Seven days after the 7.6 mag
nitude earthquake which is
believed to have killed more
than 35,000 people, many
villages are still without aid.
UNICEF has warned that
thousands of children are at
risk of death from cold, mal
nutrition and disease; a re
ported half of those affected
by the earthquake are under
the age of eighteen.
CNN reports that a promi
nent British lawyer has been
asked to defend Saddam
Hussein at the dictator’s trial
for mass murder. Anthony
Scrivener, who was part
of the legal team that freed
the “Guildford Four” (they
were jailed for two 1975 pub
bombings), has not decided
whether or not to take the
job.
Saddam and seven other
defendants face their firet tri
al starting October 19. Pros
ecutors have not announced
the exact charges, but it is
expected that Hussein will
face the death penalty if con
victed.
Send your
Deadly Earthquake Hits Asia
EMEUA DXJNSTON
Staff Writer
On October 8th a massive
earthquake rocked South
Asia to its core. The quake,
which had a magnitude of
7.6, was centered about.60
miles northeast of Islam
abad. It struck Pakistan and
parts of India and Afghani
stan on Saturday morning as
well. It destroyed thousands
of homes, buildings, and
schools and triggered land
slides that prevented rescu
ers from reaching the area.
It has been reported that up
to 22 aftershocks followed
within 24 hours.
According to the Associ
ated Press, the earthquake
to date has killed more than
35,000 and left about 2.3
million homeless. Officials
are expecting the death toll
to rise because rescue work
ers cannot reach some of the
remote areas that were hit
by the quake. Many of the
main roads that lead to these
remote villages have been
completely wiped out. For
the ones that they can reach,
the military is trying to set
up medical camps and evacu
ate the injured.
Helicopters are
flying in and
out daily to
deliver needed
supplies and
to transport in
jured people to
hospitals. The
helicopters
have been their
only means of
transportation
until the roads
are cleared and
deemed safe to travel on. To
help relieve some of their
stress, many nations, includ
ing the US, have stepped for
ward to donate money and
needed supplies. The US has
agreed to provide initial aid
of up to $50 million dollars
for reconstruction and relief
efforts in Pakistan. Eiyopean
Union Commissioner Louis
Michel said he was sending
$4.4 million in emergency
relief aid to the stricken re
gion.
As of Friday, authorities de
cided to end search and res
cue efforts for survivors. In
Pakistan, according to AOL.
Did you capture a
great picture of the
monks during their
time at Meredith?
Here’s your chance
to show it off!
best pictures to
baileyka@meredith.edu or put
in Kathryn Bailey’s Joyner mail
box and win a prize! Prizes will be
awarded for best black & white and
best color photos. Winners will also
be submitted for possible publica
tion in The Colton Review. Contest
ends Monday, October 31!
Questions? Contact Kat at x8603 or
at baileyka@Meredith.edu.
Staff
Photo courtesy of www.cnn.com:
com, officials have said that
there is no hope of finding
more people beneath the
rubble of collapsed build
ings because “after a week,
very few people survive.”
So, right now, they are try
ing to focus their attention
on the survivors and finding
more supplies for them, like
tents and food, while trying
to deal with freezing temper
atures and heavy rain. They
are hoping to be able to do
things fast enough because,
if not, people could begin
dying fix)m cold, malnutri
tion and disease.
Editor in Chief. Maria Santore
herald@meredith.edu
Managing Editor. Amber Littesy
Layout Editor. Megan Rice
Copy Editors Amy Kay Nickerson
Rita Hendrick
Staff Photographers.; Laura Marshall
Terri Richards
Business Manager. Stephanie Harrington
Advertising Manager. .Natalie Braswell
Faculty Adviser. Dr. Rebecca Duncan
Staff Writers.
Melinda Bowling Rachel McElwain
Stephanie Justice Emelia Dunston
Susie Potter Joy Strickland
Lauren Stanfield
The Meredith Herald is published by the College
throughout the academic year. The paper is funded by the college
and through independent advertising. All advertisements should
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The opinions expressed in the editorial columns do not necessarily
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Published by Hinton Press