1992_07_july_aid

The Government could be quite relaxed about increasing foreign aid, despite the recession, the Member for Fraser, John Langmore, said yesterday. ÿ(sunjul26)@

He was speaking after calls at the weekend by two major non-Government aid agencies for increased help for Africa.

Both CARE Australia and Australian Catholic Relief have painted a desperate picture in several African countries, notably Somalia, Sudan and Mozambique. The effect of civil war and drought is threatening the lives of millions of children.

Catholic relief said it was getting reports from Somalia that, “”the degree of malnutrition is so high that it can be compared only to the awful condition of Ethiopian famine victims of 1984.”

Mr Langmore said there was wide support for increased aid. More than two million Australians give to non-government overseas aid agencies each year.

“”The Government could be quite relaxed about increasing its contribution to relief in Africa,” it said. “”It would do so with the support of a large number of Australians.

“”Even though there is a recession, when people’s lives are at stake there is a strong case for increasing support.”

Labor Party policy was to increase aid to 0.4% of GDP by 1995. To do that it had to increase aid from the 0.36 in 1991-92 to 0.37 in 1992-93.

Australian Catholic Relief said hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees had fled to Kenya.

CARE said more than four million people in Somalia were in desperate need of food and water. A donation of $40 could keep a family in Somalia alive for a month.

CARE estimated that up to 50,000 people were dying in Africa each week.

Catholic Relief said that the civil war in Sudan meant people were fleeing the fighting, leaving behind possessions and being unable to plant crops. Two large camps near the capital Khartoum are in need of food.

In Mozambique, drought and civil war have caused thousands of families have been displaced.

Catholic Relief has made an emergency grant of $50,000 for Sudan and $100,000 to Mozambique. It has channelled $300,000 from the Australian Government to those in need. It is also providing development aid in South Africa to help food, housing and schooling.

With the Australian Council of Churches and Community Aid Abroad it has delivered 6000 tonnes of wheat to Ethiopia.

CARE is feeding 700,000 people in Somalia and has delivered 5000 tonnes of wheat there. But it was not enough. CARE is supplying food and water to 120,000 refugees in Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Help can be sent to: CARE Australia, GPO Box 9977 in any capital or to any branch of the Commonwealth Bank or to Australian Catholic Relief Africa Appeal GPO Box 9830 in any capital.

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:for news ba canberranews

Law Week starts today. ÿ(monjul27)@

Throughout the week free legal advice will be available at booths at Woden Plaza, Westfield Shopping Town, Belconnen and the Tuggeranong Hyperdome between 10am and 4pm.

Advice will be available at the ACT Council for the Ageing, Hughes Community Centre between 10am and 4pm on Wednesday.

Telephone advice will be available as follows: today ÿ(monjul27)@ contracts, tomorrow ÿ(tuejul28)@ family law, Wednesday criminal law, Thursday wills, Friday workers’ compensation and personal injury.

This year the week will concentrate on the ageing. The week will be launched by the Attorney-General, Terry Connolly, at the Hughes Community Centre at noon today. ÿ(monjul27)

The president of the ACT Law Society, Russell Miller, said the aim of the week is to increase public awareness of the law, the legal system and the legal profession. It would also stimulate debate about legal issues.

üThe Canberra Times@ will be running a series of articles on the law through the week. The first is on Page 8.

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