United Nations, June 16, 2010, SPA -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke with Kyrgyzstan’s interim leader and Russia’s foreign minister on Tuesday about the ethnic unrest in southern Kyrgyz cities of Osh and Jalalabad that has claimed the lives of at least 176 people. Ban told Roza Otunbayeva, the interim Kyrgyz leader, that the “United Nations was closely coordinating with other organizations and players to respond to the humanitarian crisis in the south of Kyrgyzstan.” In his call with Russia’s Sergei Lavrov Ban said “he was deeply concerned by the violence, especially given the inter-ethnic character of the unrest. He said he appreciated Russia's efforts to address the alarming humanitarian situation,” according to a readout provided by his spokesperson’s office. --MORE 11:08 LOCAL TIME 08:08 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/792975