(Recasts with details from speeches, news conferences) By Lesley Wroughton UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - World leaders and top officials on Monday renewed pledges to help Africa dramatically reduce poverty, but African governments told rich nations they are lagging on previous promises of increased aid. In a political declaration after a U.N. meeting on Africa's development needs, countries pledged to mobilize resources to end poverty, hunger and underdevelopment. "We stress that eradicating poverty, particularly in Africa, is the greatest global challenge facing the world today," they said. The meeting expressed concern that commitments by rich industrialized nations of doubling aid to Africa by 2010 will not be reached, while also welcoming new aid flows from emerging economies and the private sector. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the meeting on Africa to draw attention to a danger that the region would fail to meet U.N.-agreed Millennium Development Goals set in 2000 to halve global poverty by 2015. Ban urged concerted global action, warning that not one African country was on track to meet all of the goals, although he noted some progress on health and education. He said soaring food and fuel prices and the effects of climate change on food production were new challenges that could set African countries back. Ban said it would take $72 billion a year to help Africa. "This price tag may look daunting but it is affordable and falls within existing aid commitments," he said, noting that the world's industrialized countries spent an estimated $267 billion last year on agricultural subsidies alone. A $700 billion rescue plan announced by the U.S. government for troubled Wall Street firms is 10 times the annual aid Ban called for in his speech. African Union Chairman and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said while he was concerned that the financial crisis in markets could escalate, wealthy countries had made commitments to help Africa and should keep them. "We want the developed nations to perform their moral obligation of assisting the poor," Kikwete said at a news conference. "We want the developed countries to deliver on the rest of their commitments that they have not honored." He said money was especially important at a time when many African economies are growing at their strongest levels in five years and need more roads, railway lines and electricity. "Where there is a will, there is always a way," Kikwete said. "There may not be easy answers but I believe the U.S. will overcome the crisis." UNDEVELOPED WEALTH African Development Bank President Donald Kaberuka said a slowdown in growth in developed countries would affect Africa, especially if demand for its commodities declined sharply. "This crisis is serious, but frankly, I hope it doesn't lead to reduced efforts to help developing countries because that would be a disappointment," said Kaberuka. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Africa was at a turning point but needed to guard against running up debts that would require cancellation later by rich countries. "Let us not set the stage today for a new debt crisis in 2030," Sarkozy said. He questioned why some new lenders restricted funding to investment in projects when Africa needed budget support. Large emerging lenders like China are ramping up financing for power and transport projects in Africa, most of it in countries endowed with natural resources. "Europeans and Africans have agreed on untying aid. Why then go back on this principle with donors from other continents?" Sarkozy said, without naming China. China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said it was important to respect the sovereignty of African nations and assistance should be geared to Africa's basic and long-term needs. "To achieve long-term development, African countries must rely on their own capacity," he said, adding that China planned to increase its assistance to Africa in agriculture, education, health and clean energy development. Jeffrey Sachs, a development campaigner and professor at New York's Columbia University, said the $72 billion a year needed for Africa "is not an outlandish price tag." "The U.S. Congress is about to vote $1 trillion for Wall Street this week," he told a U.N. panel. "That is no joke, and shows money is there when it's an emergency." (Editing by Doina Chiacu)
Haitians unload food donated by the NGO CARE and World Food Program "WFP" after flooding in the town of Gonaives September 22, 2008. Haiti has been blasted by four storms - ...
