The Harvard World United Nations Program made step deep staff cuts last month due to last year's financial losses, group members said yesterday.

"The group had to cut about half of the staff, including all of the assistant directors, because they realized they couldn't make up the deficits from last year," said Emmeline F. Li'96 a former assistant director of the organization.

A member of the organization, who requested anonymity, said the loss amounted to $6,000 and that last year's executives knowingly took on debts they knew they did not have the funds to cover.

James T. Chao '93 executive director of the World Model UN, acknowledged that the organization suffered a net loss last year, but refused to disclose the size of the deficit.

Mark D. Moody '93, one of the group's undersecretary generals confirmed that the group's financial troubles have forced them to make difficult cutbacks.

"Last year's group did run a deficit," said Moody "It wasn't inordinately large for a first year group, but it was large enough to cause problems both them and now. The loss has translated into some staff cuts this year."

Moody said last year's leadership could have employed better bookeeping methods.

Chao declines to comment on the financial practices of Last Year's executives, only saying accounting practices this year are "relatively much more rigorous,"

"Last Year, with such a young organization, difficulties were to be expected. This year, we have really moved to correct the problems," Chao said.