In breaking news, the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan has been bombed. At least 50 people are dead and 120 injured. The explosion, believed to be a car or truck bomb, occured at 14:00 UTC, just hours after newly elected President Asif Ali Zardari addressed Parliament and promised to destroy terrorism in the country. It is thought that more than a ton of explosives were used in the blast, which left a crater 30 feet deep and triggered a gas leak which sent the hotel up in flames. It is feared that the death toll may go much higher in what is one of the worst terror attacks in Pakistan's history. Ambulances have rushed to the scene of today's explosion, where rescuers ferry away the dead. Dozens of vehicles have been skeletonised, and trees nearby have been felled. Buildings hundreds of metres away have had their windows shattered. Witnesses, including a security guard, described a large truck approaching the building immediatly before the explosion. The explosion was heard 30km away. No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing. The United Nations has called for wealthy donor nations to donate US$700 million (£382 million or €484 million) in emergency aid for Eastern Africa to prevent widespread famine. Since the start of 2008 the number of people living in hunger in the region has almost doubled to seventeen million, according to the UN. UN emergency relief co-ordinator John Holmes states that food levels are dangerously low in much of Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Northern Kenya and Uganda. The area, known as the 'Horn of Africa', has seen drought, war and high food prices all worsen the situation. Holmes has warned that the levels of those in need could rise still further. A total of $1.4 billion is to be raised for the period from now to the year's end, but at least $716 million of that remains to be found. "We may need significant funds after that period - this is not the end of the story," warned Holmes. He described locals saying that the situation has never been as bad since 1928, when vast amounts of livestock died. They say rain is needed within the next few months if there is to be any grazing and cereal crops are impossible in the near future, it being well into 2009 before anything may be ready to harvest. The number of hungry people in the world rose by 75 million last year to 925 million. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation says high food prices are to blame for the crisis.
In breaking news, the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan has been bombed. At least 50 people are dead and 120 injured. The explosion, believed to be a car or truck bomb, occurred at 14:00 UTC, just hours after newly elected President Asif Ali Zardari addressed Parliament and promised to destroy terrorism in the country. It is thought that more than a ton of explosives were used in the blast, which left a crater 30 feet deep and triggered a gas leak which sent the hotel up in flames. It is feared that the death toll may go much higher in what is one of the worst terror attacks in Pakistan's history. Ambulances have rushed to the scene of today's explosion, where rescuers ferry away the dead. Dozens of vehicles have been skeletonised, and trees nearby have been felled. Buildings hundreds of metres away have had their windows shattered. Witnesses, including a security guard, described a large truck approaching the building immediately before the explosion. The explosion was heard 30km away. No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing. The United Nations has called for wealthy donor nations to donate US$700 million (£382 million or €484 million) in emergency aid for Eastern Africa to prevent widespread famine. Since the start of 2008 the number of people living in hunger in the region has almost doubled to seventeen million, according to the UN. UN emergency relief coordinator John Holmes states that food levels are dangerously low in much of Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Northern Kenya and Uganda. The area, known as the 'Horn of Africa', has seen drought, war and high food prices all worsen the situation. Holmes has warned that the levels of those in need could rise still further. A total of $1.4 billion is to be raised for the period from now to the year's end, but at least $716 million of that remains to be found. "We may need significant funds after that period - this is not the end of the story," warned Holmes. He described locals saying that the situation has never been as bad since 1928, when vast amounts of livestock died. They say rain is needed within the next few months if there is to be any grazing and cereal crops are impossible in the near future, it being well into 2009 before anything may be ready to harvest. The number of hungry people in the world rose by 75 million last year to 925 million. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation says high food prices are to blame for the crisis.
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