Special Humanitarian Envoy for the Horn of Africa visits Eritrea

Asmara, Thursday 12 October 2006 - The United Nations Secretary-General's Special Humanitarian Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik, arrives tomorrow in Asmara on an official mission to Eritrea from 13 to 18 October 2006.

The purpose of Mr. Bondevik's visit is to look at the food security situation in the country in the wake of the rainy season and to follow up on his previous mission conducted in April, which aimed at getting an overview of the immediate and long-term challenges related to food situation and discussing the role of the international community in support of humanitarian and relief efforts in Eritrea.

On the one hand, the rainy season in 2005 and the July, August and September 2006 rains have been good, which should lead to better harvests and mitigate the impact of drought on the food security situation. On the other hand, the vulnerability of people in several areas continues to be further aggravated by the "no-war-no-peace" situation, which further affects their coping mechanisms and return to more stable lives. This is particularly so for internally displaced people and groups that were recently resettled in their places of origin, where basic services are progressively being re-established. Mr. Bondevik is interested in gaining more insight into the chronic humanitarian situation in Eritrea.

During his mission, the Special Envoy will meet with senior officials from the Government of the State of Eritrea and members of the international community including donors, NGOs, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movements and the UN system.

The Special Humanitarian Envoy will discuss strategies for strengthening partnerships between the international community and the Government to ensure assistance is as effective, timely and efficient as possible, while also looking at long-term approaches that will reduce the country's vulnerability to the impact of recurrent drought.

The Special Humanitarian Envoy and his team will conduct a field visit to witness ongoing activities related to food security.

Mr. Bondevik is a seasoned diplomat and politician. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1997-2000 and from 2001-2005.

For further information, please contact:
UN-OCHA Asmara, Eritrea, Tel.: (291-1) 151666, Fax: 291 -1 151999