UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy calls for a more positive response to the humanitarian crisis in Eritrea

"Eritrea requires a more positive response from the international donor community to address the humanitarian crisis facing the country", United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Humanitarian Crisis in the Horn of Africa, Mr. Martti Ahtisaari noted as he wrapped up his two-day mission to the country on Tuesday 8 July 2003. "It would be catastrophic if we do not meet emergency needs", he added.
"My feeling is that this may also be a window of opportunity to try to address more long-term issues in order to increase the self reliance of the Government", Mr. Ahtisaari said. "As droughts have become more frequent, there is need for greater urgency and will by all sides to start addressing the underlying factors that have made Eritrea so vulnerable to drought". The challenge now is for all partners to work together to ensure long-term solutions to the food security problems and to reduce dependency on food aid.

While acknowledging the strong cooperation among the Government, donor agencies, humanitarian organisations and the local communities, Mr. Ahtisaari said that it was essential to ensure sustained dialogue on humanitarian, recovery and development issues between Government authorities and the international community in order to build support for self-reliance. "I hope that my visit here has contributed to the opening of such a dialogue", he added.

Mr. Ahtisaari said that his visit to Eritrea was aimed at increasing funding for food and non-food assistance and advocating for long-term development programmes to ensure food self-sufficiency across the nation. The Special Envoy noted that the UN was firmly committed to assisting the Government of Eritrea and that he would "concentrate on securing the necessary financing of the immediate crisis needs and then look at long-term financing possibilities".

While there are competing emergencies worldwide and donors tend to look at bigger emergencies, the special Envoy noted that "relative size is also important", given that two-thirds of Eritrea's population (2.3 million people) is in need of humanitarian assistance. He appealed to the donor community to make a timely and adequate response to the needs of the people and not to allow Eritrea's crisis to be overshadowed by higher profile emergencies.

Mr. Ahtisaari urged donors not only to make pledges, but also to ensure timely arrival of supplies in country. Recently, there had been an increase in pledges and commitments, especially in the food aid sector. Still, only 21.8% of required food aid had arrived in Eritrea as of June 2003.

While in Eritrea, Mr. Ahtisaari discussed the humanitarian situation and recovery efforts with President Isaias Afwerki, senior Government officials, the UN Country Team, representatives of the donor community, the Red Cross Movement, and non-governmental organizations.

Mr. Ahtisaari also visited drought and war-affected Debub region where he witnessed first-hand the humanitarian and recovery interventions of the government, UN agencies and NGOs. In the sub-regional capital Senafe, he met with the Governor of Debub region. He visited the Senafe Hospital, destroyed during the border war with Ethiopia and now housed in temporary buildings, and the Metera IDP camp, home to 1,400 families.

Prior to briefing UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on his findings, the Special Envoy will hold meetings with donor representatives in Brussels and Washington in an effort to search for ways to raise the necessary resources to better address the humanitarian situation in the country.

For further information, please contact: UN-OCHA, Asmara, Eritrea, tel: (291 1) 151 666; fax (291 1) 151 999