Security council votes to speed up aid to Iraq

The US Security Council tonight voted unanimously to extend Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s authority to speed millions of pounds of additional food and medicine to the Iraqi people until June 3.

In an effort to get aid to Iraq quickly, the council on March 28 authorised Annan to review €14.45bn in contracts already approved under the UN oil-for-food programme and give priority to those that could be used immediately for humanitarian relief.