UN humanitarian chief arrives in Eastern Chad, home to 400,000 displaced and refugees

(Abéché [Chad] and New York: 27 March 2007): United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes arrived in the town of Abéché in eastern Chad this morning, on the second leg of his two-week, three-country mission to Africa.

Upon arrival, the Emergency Relief Coordinator met with the senior Government representative of the Ouaddaï region in which Abéché is located, the Governor, Général Touka Ramadan, with whom he discussed issues related to the protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other vulnerable groups and priorities for the humanitarian response. Mr. Holmes said he was looking forward to travelling to IDP settlements the next day, in order to assess for himself the situation on the ground.

"I hope the Government can step up its efforts to increase protection for the more than 400,000 displaced people and refugees in Chad -- they are very vulnerable," said Mr. Holmes, adding, "The situation is very worrying. The combined threat of militias, bandits, and conflict between the Government and rebel groups could force tens of thousands more to flee their homes."

The Emergency Relief Coordinator also noted that, in response to a query regarding his current aid priority, the Governor stressed the threat of meningitis, which has already killed more than 16,000 people along the "meningitis belt" stretching from Senegal in West Africa to Ethiopia in the east, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Following his meeting with the Governor, Mr. Holmes met with the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Chad, Kingsley Amaning, and the staff of the regional sub-office of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and subsequently with representatives of the United Nations agencies working in eastern Chad, in order to discuss the situation and their activities.

"I am very worried that the growing violence in eastern Chad could seriously disrupt humanitarian operations, where the UN agencies and NGOs are doing a remarkable job in really difficult circumstances," stressed the Emergency Relief Coordinator. "While we have to make sure the work of aid organizations can continue, they are in considerable risk of getting caught in the crossfire."

Later this afternoon, the Emergency Relief Coordinator is expected to meet with representatives of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement working in eastern Chad.

Tomorrow, he plans to travel to the area of Goz Beida where he is expected to meet with local Government, traditional leaders, and representatives of IDP communities, and visit IDP settlement sites. In the afternoon, he will travel to the capital, N'Djamena, where he expects to meet with senior Government officials, as well as representatives of the United Nations agencies and NGO and donor community in Chad.

The central African country of Chad, bordered on the east by Sudan's Darfur region and on the south by the Central African Republic, is home to some 234,000 Sudanese and 48,000 Central African refugees. Insecurity in the east of the country has also led to the internal displacement of some 120,000 Chadians.

For further information, please call: Cheikh Touré, OCHA-Chad, +235 670 4313 (mobile), +88 216 2120 6871 (Thuraya); Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; Kristen Knutson, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 9262; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570. OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.