Emergency Relief Coordinator to visit Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea

Mr. Kenzo Oshima, The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, arrives in Khartoum on Monday, 30 September at the start of a twelve-day mission to Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
On the first leg of his mission, to Sudan and Kenya, Mr. Oshima will be meeting with Senior officials from the Government of Sudan and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement, the UN Country Team, and representatives from the donor and non-governmental organization (NGO) communities. He will be accompanied by the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs for the Sudan, Ambassador Tom Eric Vraalsen. Issues to be discussed include humanitarian access to people in need, the safety of civilians and aid workers, and ways to assure the smooth functioning of one of the world's largest humanitarian operations. While in Sudan, Mr. Oshima will get a first-hand look at relief projects through trips to the field.

On the second half of his trip, from 5 to 11 October, Mr. Oshima will go to Ethiopia and Eritrea to draw attention to growing humanitarian needs brought about by drought-induced food shortages. He will be accompanied on this part of the mission by Mr. Holdbrook Arthur, The World Food Programme's Director for the Central Africa Region, Mr. John Rook, Regional Food Security Expert from the European Commission and Ms. Lauren Landis Director of the Office of Food for Peace of the United States Agency for International Development.

Stopping first in Ethiopia, Mr. Oshima will visit areas hard-hit by drought and discuss how best to address urgent needs of affected populations with Senior Government officials, the UN Country Team, and representatives from the donor community and NGOs. Assessments underway now are expected to reveal that Ethiopia's food shortages will require a rapid response from the international community. Similarly, in Eritrea, Mr. Oshima will seek to gain a better understanding of prevailing humanitarian conditions through visits to areas affected by the effects of the failure of seasonal rains. Together with the UN Country team, he will meet with senior government officials to discuss ways to lessen the impacts of the looming crisis there.

Mr. Oshima plans to brief the press on the progress of the mission on 4 October in Nairobi, on 7 October in Addis Ababa, and on 10 October in Asmara. Upon return from his mission, Mr. Oshima will brief the United Nations Headquarters press corps on 14 October.

Press contact:

(GVA) - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53
(N.Y.) - Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. +1-212-963 37 59