Slow Response from West Led to Thousands of Deaths in Africa Famine
Aid groups says thousands of people have needlessly died in East Africa because of a slow international response to early signs of famine. In a new report, organizations including Oxfam and Save the Children say rich nations waited until a food shortage reached crisis levels despite warnings as early as August 2010. Up to 100,000 people are said to have died in the famine, mostly Somalis. Aid officials say they are now gearing up for a looming hunger crisis in West Africa.
Military Suicides Hit New Record High
New figures show suicides among active-duty U.S. soldiers hit another record high last year. The Army says 164 active-duty troops took their own lives in 2011, the highest number ever recorded. Violent sex crimes among active-duty troops also rose nearly 30 percent, with more than half the victims active-duty female soldiers between the ages of 18 and 21.
EPA to Deliver Fresh Water to Homes Impacted by Fracking
The Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to begin delivering fresh water to four homes in northeastern Pennsylvania where water wells have been contaminated by the natural gas drilling technique known as fracking. Some of the water was found to be polluted with cancer-causing arsenic and synthetic chemicals. Meanwhile, a New York man named Patrick McElligott has entered his eighth day on a hunger strike against fracking.
Previous weeks: