U.N. Official Quits, Saying He Lost Hope

The top U.N. humanitarian official in Iraq said he resigned his post because he had lost hope for an improvement in conditions for the Iraqi people. Hans von Sponeck, a German career U.N. official, tendered his resignation over the weekend after months of opposition from the U.S. and Britain for his criticism of 9-year-old U.N. sanctions against Iraq. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, traveling in Singapore, said he had accepted the resignation “with regret,” adding that Von Sponeck had served the United Nations for 36 years. Iraq deplored the resignation. In New York, United Nations spokeswoman Marie Okabe said Von Sponeck, 61, was resigning from the organization entirely. His predecessor, Denis Halliday of Ireland, left the Baghdad job after voicing similar criticism.