UN appeals for $71m in aid

UNITED NATIONS – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is appealing for US$71 million to help hundreds of thousands of people affected by ethnic unrest in Kyrgyzstan.Ban told reporters that an estimated 300 000 people have been displaced by the fighting in southern Kyrgyzstan and up to 100 000 have fled across the border to Uzbekistan. He said tens of thousands more were waiting to cross the border.The UN chief said there were shortages of food, water and electricity due to looting, a lack of supplies and restrictions on movement.Ban said he has been discussing options for restoring order and preventing further loss of life with the head of Kyrgyzstan’s interim government and other leaders in the region. (AP)