UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
NIGERIA: IRIN News Briefs [19991101]

NIGERIA: IRIN News Briefs [19991101]


NIGERIA: IRIN News Briefs, Monday 1 November 1999

CONTENTS:

Floods in Bayelsa MSF starts anti-malaria programme Shell helicopter, passengers still held

Floods in Bayelsa

Bayelsa State Information and Culture Commissioner Iniruo Wills has called on the federal government to declare the south-eastern state a disaster zone and urgently send relief aid to flood victims, `The Guardian' newspaper reported on Monday.

The 150-million-naira (US $1.6 million) in federal funds were incapable in overcoming the crisis, he said, calling for international agencies to help save the victims.

"If this is not quickly done some parts of the state might be completely wiped out by next year," he added.

MSF starts anti-malaria programme

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has started an anti-malaria programme in Baylesa State where health services are limited, the humanitarian medical aid body announced on 29 October. Malaria is the main cause of death for the area's 100.000 people. Quoting federal government and UNICEF figures, MSF said 200 of 1,000 children died of the disease each year in the region.

After its anti-malaria and fever programme, MSF said it would start an emergency preparedness programme in Kano State. This will respond to meningitis, yellow fever, measles and cholera. In Borno State MSF will undertake a cholera prevention and treatment programme, and in Lagos a health and water surveillance efforts will be conducted in the city's slums.

MSF has just completed an aerial assessment of the still flooded Niger River valley, in Niger State. The agency said although there was no immediate medical emergency in the area the potential for epidemics was strong as the flood waters recede in the coming months.

Shell helicopter, passengers still held

Oil giant Royal Dutch/Shell told IRIN on Monday that it was still consulting with community leaders to seek the release of the crew and passengers of a helicopter seized at the weekend by militant youths in the oil-producing Niger Delta.

A Shell spokesman said it was not possible to say when the five persons might be released. He was unable to confirm reports that an expatriate was among the hostages. The airplane belongs to Bristol Helicopters, a British company.

In the city of Port Harcourt, the largest in the Delta, police shot four youths last week in an attempt to evict them from the offices of Wilbros, a US oil service company.

At the weekend, community clashes forced Shell to declare force majeure at the Bonny Terminal, southeast of Port Harcourt, the spokesman told IRIN.

Shell has reached several agreements with communities in the Delta which accuse the transnational of polluting their rivers. However, the fragmented nature of intra-communal interests has made the attainment of peace an elusive goal, the spokesman said.

"Every time we reach an agreement another group within the same community shuts down an oil terminal," he said.

[ENDS]

[IRIN-WA: Tel: +225 217366 Fax: +225 216335 e-mail: irin-wa@ocha.unon.org ]

Item: irin-english-1895

[This item is delivered in the "irin-english" service of the UN's IRIN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or to change your keywords, contact e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org or Web: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer.]

Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 1999

Subscriber: afriweb@sas.upenn.edu Keyword: IRIN

Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar

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