Free Republic

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- A year of disasters around the world sparked an unprecedented outpouring of aid, but richer nations still are not giving enough money to tackle lingering humanitarian crises, the U.N. humanitarian chief said. Jan Egeland said, for example, that as many people die in Congo every eight months as in last year's Indian Ocean tsunami. He also criticized political leaders for failing to take action to end the wars that create humanitarian crises or invest in disaster prevention to mitigate the impact of earthquakes, hurricanes and floods. The work of U.N. and other relief workers in conflict-wracked...