Africa may not reach anti-poverty goals

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- The impact of the worldwide financial crisis could include preventing Africa from reaching its anti-poverty goals by 2015, a U.N. official says.

U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Thursday the international economic downturn may leave Africa unable to successfully embrace the Millennium Development Goals, a U.N. release reported.

"Despite some notable achievements, progress is off track across the continent," Migiro said at the Regional Coordination Mechanism meeting.

Migiro said while the whole of Africa moved forward economically between 2000 and 2008 to an average of more than 5 percent growth annually, the current economic doldrums have caused significant problems.

Migiro said Africa's 2009 economic growth is expected to be 1.7 percent.

"Progress toward the Millennium Development Goals is likely to be adversely affected. The food and energy crises, as well as climate change, will also complicate our work," she said.