Swaziland's worst drought in 15 years is threatening nearly half of the nation's 1 million people, who will need international assistance totaling 15.6 million dollars in coming months, the United Nations said Tuesday, according to dpa. In addition to drought-related problems, one-fifth of Swaziland's population, or 200,000 people, are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. They will also need medical assistance, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. "The government of Swaziland is doing all it can, but needs our support," said John Holmes, the UN emergency relief coordinator. "Hundreds of thousands of people face hunger, illness and severe hardship in the coming months and it is critical that we get life- saving activities up and running as quickly as possible." OCHA said the government has pledged more than 23 million dollars to respond to urgent needs like water and food. But it is asking for international help to sustain national efforts to meet other demands.
