Planet Earth Nature and Natural Disasters Part 2 Aid for Disasters

About planet Earth, nature, and and natural disasters, the aid by United Nations and others for poor nations.

TROUBLE ON EARTH

Generally, however, it is man who aggravates the dimensions of natural bad years into major disasters. The wonderful new crops of the Green Revolution demand new fertilizers and insecticides. Since these derive from petroleum products, and since oil prices have mounted astronomically, all the have-not nations are currently facing a hopeless situation. They cannot afford the new high prices for the necessary fertilizer and insecticides.

Unselfish generosity among nations has been one of the pleasanter aspects of many UN activities. But at the opening of the 29th General Assembly in September, 1974, Secretary General Waldheim called attention to the fact that rich countries have lost interest in furnishing foreign aid to poorer nations.

General Waldheim estimated that $2.3 billion was required to aid the neediest countries, where per capita yearly income is less than $400 (like Upper Volta--in the Sahel--where the yearly income is only $60), and warned the indifferent nations that "Failure to sustain international action and collective responsibility may easily put in question the survival of millions of people. Many great civilizations in history have collapsed at the very height of their achievements because they were unable to analyze their basic problems. . . . Today the civilization which is facing such a challenge is not just one small part of mankind--it is mankind as a whole."

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