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Irish Times, 2nd November 2005
Letter to the Editor by John O'Shea
Madam,
The Volcker Report into the UN's Oil-for-Food Programme is a damning
indictment of the UN and has made clear that it simply isn't capable
of taking on massive tasks like the $64 billion operation.
This humanitarian programme was set up to alleviate the suffering
of millions of Iraqis when the West imposed sanctions after the
1991 Gulf War. Instead, several UN officials from several countries
illegally profited from kickbacks from the programme.
Worrying therefore is the Irish Government's recent decision to
pledge €10 million to the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund.
How can the Irish Government expect the disgraced agency to manage
such a fund without corruption when its systems have been shown
to be so corrupt?
The decision must be reversed, and the Government must channel
emergency funds through respected aid agencies with a proven track
record who can deliver to the devastated victims on the ground.
- Yours, etc,
JOHN O'SHEA, GOAL, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
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