Media Advisory: High-level partnership mission to Horn of Africa

WHO: Ahmed Al Meraikhi, Humanitarian Envoy of the UN Secretary-General; Rashid Khalikov, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Partnerships with Middle East and Central Asia; H.E. Ms. Sacko Josefa Leonel Correa, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission; H.E. Ms. Cessouma Minata Samate, Commissioner for Political Affairs, African Union Commission; high-level representatives of the governments of Kuwait, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, South Africa and USA as well as the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

WHAT: Partnership mission to collectively assess the humanitarian situation and enhance humanitarian support in response to the drought and food security crisis in Africa’s Horn.

WHERE: Addis Ababa and field locations in Ethiopia; Mogadishu and field locations in Somalia; Nairobi, Kenya

WHEN: 8 to 13 June 2017

A joint mission led by representatives of the African Union and the United Nations to the Horn of Africa has begun 8 June in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the high-level participants are expected to meet with Government ministers and senior officials, African Union officials, UN agencies and NGO partners. The mission will visit the Somali region in Ethiopia on 9 June to see first-hand the drought-induced humanitarian crisis and the Government-led response supported by international humanitarian organizations.

The mission will proceed on 11 June to Somalia where participants will engage with Government ministers and other senior officials, UN representatives and humanitarian partners including civil society organizations. On 12 June, the mission will travel to Doloow in the southern part of Somalia to meet local authorities and engage with affected people and humanitarians on the ground.

On 13 June, the mission will wrap up in Nairobi, Kenya, where participants will meet representatives of the Government and key humanitarian partners. A press conference is scheduled on Tuesday 13 June, 13:30 (local time) at Hotel Intercontinental in Nairobi.

For further information, please contact:
Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission,
DIC@african-union.org, Ethiopia Cell: +251-0929 381859
Malda Nadew, OCHA Ethiopia, nadew@un.org, Tel: +251 115444059, Cell: +251 929034346
Tapiwa Gomo, OCHA Somalia, gomo@un.org, Cell: +252 616548007
Farah Dakhlallah, OCHA Regional Office (Nairobi), dakhlallah2@un.org, Cell: +254 (0)786 633633
Jens Laerke, OCHA Geneva, laerke@un.org , Tel.: +41 22 917 11 42, Cell: +41 79 472 9750