President Barack Hussein Obama

Things are soon happening in the Obama administration. Sources privy to the information tell API that President Obama plans a visit to Kenya and from there, he will proceed to Iran for a short visit that is said will last for 4 hours.

This move by the administration will be seen as an insult to Israel by those who do not want Iran to be taken seriously by Obama during his presidency.

Talking to API from Washington, the official who wants to remain anonymous until the details of the visit is announced publicly confirms that the administration has already dispatched a diplomat to Tehran to discus and agree on the agenda for the meeting with the Iranians before the two Presidents meet.

It is said that the President might stop in Israel on his way back to Washington, but it remains to be seen if the Israelis will be so angered that they may refuse to entertain Obama during this visit to the area.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to tell Obama that Israel will not welcome such a move by Obama to visit Iran, when he visits Washington shortly. It is expected that he will try to prevail upon Obama to drop Iran because a visit to that country will legitimise Iran’s ambitions to have nuclear capability, a thing said will destabilise the region.

President Ahmedinajad of Iran

President Ahmedinajad  is reported to have welcomed Obama’s planned visit and is expected to tell Obama that Iran is not a threat to peace in the region.

After his visit to Iran, the president will fly to Egypt for a meeting with President Hosni Mubarak. While in Egypt, he will address all Muslims in message meant to cement courtship between the US and the Arab world.

By Chief Editor Korir / African Press International.

By KOIGI WAMWERE

SOMALIA: Puntland drought getting worse

Photo: SCDO

A drought-stricken Somali family: Authorities in Puntland say the region is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis following poor rains that have created severe water and food shortages – file photo

“We had very little Deyr [October-December 2008] rain and we have had even less rain in the Gu [April-June 2009] season so far, which has exacerbated an already bad situation,” Mohamed Said Kashawiito, the director-general of Puntland’s Ministry of Interior, told IRIN on 6 May.

Most of the population relies on livestock, but poor rainfall has left them struggling to make ends meet.

“We are getting reports of livestock dying; in some places 30 to 40 percent of the livestock has died,” he said. “What little livestock is left is so weak they cannot even sell it, much less use it for milk and meat.”

The situation had also forced many nomads to move to urban centres, he said.

Most affected are the regions of Bari, Nugal and parts of Mudug, and parts of Sool and Sanaag, which are claimed by both Puntland and the neighbouring self-declared republic of Somaliland.

Photo: IRIN

Impact of drought: Most of the population in Puntland relies on livestock, but poor rainfall has left them struggling to make ends meet – file photo

He called on international aid agencies to scale up their activities to help the affected population.

Abdi Hirsi, the governor of Nugal, said the villages of Kalabeyr, Birta Dheer and Awr Ulus, all in Garowe district, and some others were in desperate need of food and water.

“Some of the populations are no longer able to cope and need immediate intervention in terms of food,” he warned. “We need urgent assistance,” he said.

In a February report, the Food Security Analysis Unit of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO/FSAU) for Somalia warned that Puntland had experienced a third consecutive seasonal rainfall failure (Deyr October-December 2008).

At least 195,000 people were facing an acute food and livelihood crisis and humanitarian emergency, particularly in Bari, Nugal and Mudug regions, in addition to the long-term IDPs.

Warsame Abdi, Puntland’s information minister, told IRIN on 25 March that at least 133 localities were dependent on water trucking but the local authorities did not have the resources to address the situation.

Abdiaziz Sheikh Yusuf, the district commissioner of Jariiban, in Mudug region, said 42 out of 47 townships in the district were facing major water problems.

ah/eo/mw source.www.irinnews.org

MIDDLE EAST: Swine flu update

Photo: Wikipedia

Some pharmacies in Dubai, UAE say their sales of Tamiflu are up, according to local media

DUBAI, ) – Confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, have been reported in Israel, which is among 21 countries to have officially reported cases. No cases have been reported elsewhere in the Middle East, though the region has been adopting preventative measures.

Egypt

- Egypt has ordered the culling of its entire pig population (estimated at 300,000) despite the World Health Organization (WHO) saying there was no evidence the animals had transmitted swine flu to humans.

- Health Minister Hatem el-Gabali, has ordered a psychiatric hospital near Cairo airport to be converted into a quarantine centre for passengers suspected of having the disease.

- Health minister said on 4 May he would discuss with his Arab counterparts the possibility of delaying `Umrah’ – the lesser pilgrimage to Mecca.

Iraq

- Authorities to set aside US$30 million to combat any outbreak; medical checks for all visitors at airports and border crossings being stepped up.

- Workshops, courses being held nationwide for relevant ministry employees on how to monitor and report the disease.

- Kurdistan Region has warned people not to travel to South America, Mexico, USA.

- Nationwide ban on hunting of wild pigs.

- Three wild boars in Baghdad zoo put down on 2 May as precautionary measure, said head of Agriculture Ministry’s Veterinary Directorate Sabah Jassim Mozan.

Israel

- Israel has recorded its fourth case of the A/H1N1 virus – a 20-year-old woman from Holon who recently returned from Mexico.

- Health Ministry urges other passengers from Iberia flight 3752 to “voluntarily quarantine themselves”.

Jordan

- Officials from Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority met on 3 May to assess the risks posed by the hunting of wild pigs, according to Nasser Hawamdeh, assistant secretary-general of the Agriculture Ministry.

- Health Ministry spokesperson Hatem Azrui said a swine flu hotline has been launched.

- Government shut down five local pig farms on 29 April (800 animals); half the pigs will be slaughtered and the rest moved to areas away from the population, officials said.

- Jordanian and Syrian officials have assessed the risk posed by stray dogs along the border.

Lebanon

- Health Ministry on 30 April issued advice on the use of face masks, the need for regular hand-washing with soap, and avoidance of large crowds.

- Government bans import of pigs and pork products, saying on 29 April that any shipments from blacklisted countries would be destroyed.

- WHO office is preparing leaflets for distribution over the coming days at the airport, the port and by NGOs working across Lebanon.

Occupied Palestinian territory

- Palestinian Authority health minister Fathi Abu Mughli says there is full cooperation with Israel on preventative measures.

Saudi Arabia

- King Abdullah called on 4 May for additional measures to protect citizens and residents from swine flu.

- Flights from countries where cases of the virus have been reported will not be rescheduled or postponed.

- Chairman of the Public Authority for Civil Aviation Abdullah Ruhaimi has said special screening measures are in place at the kingdom’s four airports.

- Health Minister Abdullah Al-Rabiah said the country had adequate stocks of Tamiflu.

United Arab Emirates

- Dubai airport officials say they are working closely with the health department to detect suspected cases of swine flu.

- Thermal imaging cameras were installed at Dubai International Airport to screen passengers arriving from affected areas.

- Health Ministry issued a swine flu bulletin on 4 May, to be updated daily.

- Sharjah international airport to install thermal imaging cameras.

- No ban on pork products, according to Majid al-Mansouri, secretary-general of the Environment Agency, but some supermarkets have removed pork products from their shelves.

(Sources: National health ministries, WHO, international, regional and local media websites.)

am/dvh/at/cb source.www.irinnews.org