UN Emergency Relief Coordinator to travel to Africa

(New York: 23 November 2007): John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, is scheduled to arrive on Monday 26 November 2007 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the start of a three-country mission to Africa. Mr. Holmes will also travel to Sudan and Kenya.

In each location, he will meet government representatives, members of the United Nations country team and other aid agencies, as well as representatives of the donor and diplomatic community. During his stay in Ethiopia from 26-28 November, the ERC will travel to Ogaden region, where he will also meet local people affected by the conflict in the area. After arriving in Khartoum, Sudan on 28 November, Mr. Holmes will travel to Darfur from 30 November to 1 December, where he will meet individuals affected by the conflict in Darfur. On 2 December, the ERC will arrive in Nairobi, Kenya, in order to meet with members of the UN country team, aid agencies and the diplomatic community working on Somalia. He is scheduled to leave Nairobi on 3 December.

At present, several press events are scheduled during the mission, including press conferences in Addis (28 November), Khartoum (2 December), and Nairobi (3 December). For a complete list of opportunities in specific locations, please contact:

Contact

Gregory Beals, OCHA-Ethiopia
Tel: +251 (0)11 544 4162 ; +251-(0)911 252344 (mobile)
beals@un.org

Orla Clinton, OCHA-Sudan
Tel: +249 18 708 9453 ; +249 91 217 4454 (mobile) ; +88 216 5119 1670 (Thuraya)
clinton@un.org

Dawn Blalock, OCHA Somalia
Tel: +254 20 375 4150 ; +254 734 210 102 (mobile)
blalock@un.org

Jens Laerke, OCHA-Nairobi
Tel: +254 20 762 2119 ; +254 7 22 513 503 (mobile)
laerke@un.org

Luluwa Ali, OCHA-Nairobi
Tel: +254 20 762 1004
ali19@un.org

Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York
Tel: +1 917 367 5126; +1 917 892 1679 (mobile)
bunker@un.org