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U.N. Has Had No Health Inspections in 20 Years Stewart Stogel UNITED NATIONS -- United Nations sources tell NewsMax that officials at U.N. headquarters in New York City have banned local authorities from any inspections related to health or safety issues.
The sources believe there have been no health and safety inspections at the world body for at least "20 years."
The news comes amid a recent spate of health and safety violations among several New York City restaurants, including more than a dozen KFC and Taco Bell fast-food locations, now battling an infestation of rats.
"OLA [office of legal affairs] has blocked any attempt by New York City to come into the [U.N.] building," confessed an official of the U.N.'s Staff Union who spoke in confidence. The Staff Union represents more than 9,000 N.Y.-based employees.
The U.N. had no immediate comment regarding the alleged ban on New York City health inspections.
Story Continues Below
Just last week, New Yorkers wondered in astonishment as video surfaced showing legions of rats munching at a Greenwich Village KFC.
The 40 acre, four-building U.N. complex, houses six eateries serving more than 5,000 people daily, including the posh Delegates Dining Room.
The dining room has played host to VIPs such as Virgin CEO Richard Branson, actors Michael Douglas and George Clooney, artist Yoko Ono, former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore, just to name a few.
Located within Manhattan but on international territory, the U.N. is not exempt from inspections related to health or safety issues.
Unfortunately, Washington has opted to ignore such issues, as long as it only affected U.N. diplomats or staffers, not the general public. Yet, more than 12,000 people work on the U.N.'s campus that straddles the East River.
A quick after-hours inspection of the U.N.'s main kitchen by NewsMax revealed rats scurrying at will.
U.N. maintenance workers tell NewsMax that rats and mice are found "throughout the ceilings" of U.N. headquarters.
The night before Branson received an award, NewsMax observed mice darting around the same kitchen that served the Virgin executive dinner Thursday evening.
Mice droppings were also observed inside open ovens in the main kitchen. Rust was seen inside kitchen equipment and the locker rooms for the food servers were found in disrepair.
One U.N. staffer who complained about "food poisoning" was given "free food for a year" by Aramark Corp., the U.N's caterer, says the U.N. Satff Union.
"They wanted him to keep his mouth shut," explained a Staff Union official.
The complaints are not limited to U.N. staff members, but extend to members of the diplomatic corps as well.
"We have complained about this for a long time — especially the mice behind the delegate's bar," complained one veteran U.N. diplomat.
New U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, unlike his predecessor Kofi Annan, has taken to occasionally lunching in the U.N.'s staff cafeteria.
"He likes the food there," explained his spokeswoman Michelle Montas.
What wasn't clear, in light of this information, is whether Ban will continue to dine in the facility.
© NewsMax 2007. All rights reserved.
Editor's note:
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