<p> <b>EL FASHER, Sudan</b>—Every night, women leave the relative safety of the Aboushok internal refugee camp to collect firewood. During the day they sell the wood to buy food for their families.</p>

<p> <b>UNITED NATIONS, New York</b> - The U.S. administration’s decision not to release $34 million appropriated by Congress for UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is regrettable, UNFPA said today.</p>

<p> <b>BANGKOK</b> – Action against HIV/AIDS that does not confront gender inequality is doomed to failure, according to a report released today by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.</p>

<p> <b>UNITED NATIONS, New York</b>—UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, has welcomed the decision of the United Kingdom Government to increase its annual contributions to UNFPA from about $30.2 million to some $36.4 million to expand access to reproductive health services, support safe motherhood initiatives and HIV/AIDS prevention in developing countries.</p>

<p> <b>SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico</b>—Latin American and Caribbean countries are set to reaffirm support for the Programme of Action of the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development.</p>

<p> <b>SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico</b>—Urgently needed work to reduce poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean must go hand in hand with efforts to increase respect for human rights, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, said today. Widespread poverty, inequality and HIV/AIDS have inhibited progress in the region, she added.</p>

<p> <b>UNITED NATIONS, Geneva</b>—Reproductive health and rights are becoming an integral part of national agenda in an increasing number of countries, and more policy makers are committed to safe motherhood.</p>

<p> <b>DAKAR</b> – All African countries today reaffirmed their strong commitment to the Programme of Action of the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development, stressing that the Millennium Development Goals cannot be achieved unless the Cairo Programme is fully implemented.</p>

<p> <b>DAKAR</b>—More than 400 African experts today began a four-day meeting in Dakar, with the aim of strengthening the implementation of the 1992 Dakar/Ngor Declaration and the Programme of Action of the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development.</p>

<p> <b>WASHINGTON, D.C.</b>—Leaders from UNFPA, the Population Council, the Government of Senegal and the International Center for Research on Women met today to address the neglected issue of child marriage.</p>

<p> <b>UNITED NATIONS, New York</b>— A Plan of Action on Reproductive Health Commodity Security, recently adopted by a group of Pacific countries, underscores the importance of reproductive health supplies for saving lives and improving health.</p>

UNITED NATIONS, New York—Development efforts stand greater chances of succeeding when they are presented to beneficiaries in a culturally sensitive manner and built on open dialogue and community involvement, according to a new report by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.