June 9, 2006

US to give US$13.25 million to help UN fight bird flu

The US will donate US$13.25 million to help the UN food organization contain outbreaks of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in animals, the US diplomatic mission said Thursday (Jun 8).

The money will finance programmes run by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in regions and countries--mostly in Asia--to build technical expertise, strengthen the surveillance of animals, expand early-warning systems and improve influenza response programmes.

"It's the largest single donation by a donor country to FAO's bird flu emergency programme to date," said Carla Benini, spokeswoman for US mission to the UN agencies in Rome.

The largest amount going to a single country is US$4 million for Indonesia, followed by US$2 million for Vietnam.

The virus has ravaged poultry flocks in Asia, Europe and Africa since 2003. It is being blamed for the death or slaughter of some 200 million birds.