The Read International For 8/11/10: The Pain In Pakistan Continues; And So Too In Gansu, China

Photo from AFP

4 million people will need food assistance in the next 3 months. 4 million:

The United Nations has launched an appeal for $459m to help the victims of devastating floods that have affected more than 14 million people across Pakistan.

The call from the UN's humanitarian agency on Wednesday came as food prices skyrocketed after huge areas of crops were destroyed by the waters.

"We have a huge task in front of us to deliver all that is required as soon as possible," John Holmes, the UN humanitarian chief, said at a meeting at UN headquarters.

Speaking of ridiculously under reported major events in America, the violent landslide in Gansu province in China has produced a death troll of over 1,000 .

But unlike in Pakistan, the government has responded very quickly in the Far East:

China's government appears to have responded quickly after landslides and flooding devastated the isolated county of Zhouqu.

Rescuers were immediately despatched to the mountainous region; the first soldiers arrived just a few hours after disaster struck.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao also flew from Beijing to Gansu Province as soon as the scale of the situation became clear.

President Zardari really could take a lot of lessons to respond to a massive disaster from Wen.

The commission into Sri Lanka's Civil War has begun today .

A week after getting a new Constitution, Kenya (through the ICC) looks to finally put behind the ugliness of their 2007 Presidential elections.

And two contrasts on the International Gay Marriage front: Mexico states are ordered to honor gay marriage (what a contrast from the US). But Costa Rica goes the total 180 degrees, blocking not gay marriage, but civil unions.

Your International news thread for the day.