Visit of the Under-Secretary-general and Emergency Relief Coordinator in Chad

N'Djamena, 17 November 2008 - The Under-Secretary-general and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Sir John Holmes will visit Chad for the second time from 21 to 24 November 2008. This visit will allow him to assess the progress in the humanitarian context and to be informed on the living conditions of thousand hundreds people rendered vulnerable by the instability in eastern Chad and in Darfur.

Mr. Holmes will carry out a trip in eastern Chad, bordering the Darfur region, from 22 to 23 November 2008. He will meet with local authorities, the deputy of the Special representative of the secretary general and the Chief of the European Force (EUFOR). Moreover, he will visit Farchana refugee camp (about 20,000 people), Koubigou IDPs site (about 6,000 people) in Goz Beida and the village of returned internal displaced people of Loboutigue (around 6,000 people) in Koukou-Angarana.

Mr. Holmes will have talks with the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and other Government members. Meetings with ambassadors accredited in Chad and representatives of the United Nations system are planned in Ndjamena.

A press conference of wrap up is scheduled at Kempinski Hôtel in Ndjamena on 24 November.

On 24 November, Mr. Holmes will leave Chad for Sudan where for a similar mission.

For more information: Katy Thiam, OCHA Tchad, + 221 620 15 42, thiamk@un.org; Orla Clinton, OCHA Soudan, +249-91-2-174454 clinton@un.org; Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679, bunker@un.org; Nicholas Reader +1 212 963 4961, mobile +1 646 752 3117, reader@un.org; John Nyaga, OCHA-NY, + 1 917 367 9262, nyagaj@un.org; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570, byrs@un.org..