...and festering

Most international humanitarian agencies agree that the crisis in Darfur is currently the world's worst. But it's hardly the only. From the BBC, last Tuesday:

Ten million people or more are in dire need of food and other assistance because aid workers cannot reach them, the UN's humanitarian chief has warned.

Undersecretary General Jan Egeland said operations in 20 countries were either being sabotaged on the ground or undermined by a lack of funds. ...

UN agencies and other non-governmental organisations are facing serious difficulties in providing "the basic means for survival" to the most needy in conflicts not just in Sudan, but in Colombia, Somalia and Afghanistan, he said.

"It's a combination of governments not enabling access, armed groups not giving us the security, and even lack of funding not making it possible for us to reach these groups," he said.

According to Egeland's office, the worst affected are
-- the Palestinian territories: 3.5 million people
-- Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: 3 million people
-- Central African Republic: 2.2 million people
-- Darfur, Sudan: 2 million people
-- Northern Uganda: 1.6 million people
-- Ivory Coast: 1.5 million people
-- Northern Caucuses: 1.2 million people
-- Afghanistan: 1 million people
-- Liberia: 500,000 people