United Nations humanitarian chief visits drought-affected areas in Ethiopia's Southern Nations Nationalities and People's Region

(Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1 September, 2008): On the first day of this three-day visit to Ethiopia, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes travelled to Ethiopia's Konso Special Woreda in Southern Nations Nationalities and People's Region (SNNPR) to review humanitarian efforts to reach victims of Ethiopia's drought and food crisis.

In SNNPR, the Emergency Relief Coordinator met with farmers who had lost their crops to drought and visited an outpatient therapeutic centre and stabilization centre run by Save The Children US. The two facilities provide critical nutritional and medical interventions to children who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Additionally, Holmes witnessed a government food distribution for the chronically food insecure.

"Ethiopia is facing a food crisis that is one of the worst in the world, especially in terms of malnutrition among children," said Holmes. "It is important that we make every effort to deal quickly and comprehensively with this tragedy."

Nationwide, approximately 75,000 Ethiopian children have been directly affected by the drought and are at risk of severe acute malnutrition. Throughout Ethiopia, 4.6 million people receive emergency food aid assistance due to the crisis. The situation is made worse due to a shortage of emergency resources including ready to use therapeutic food (RUTF), emergency relief food and other critical supplies.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Holmes made a visit to the African Union to inaugurate the OCHA-African Union liaison office. He officially introduced the representative of the office, Kazimiro Rudolf-Jocondo, to H.E. Jean Ping, Chairperson of the AU Commission, and Mr. Lemamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security at African Union Offices.

The Emergency Relief Coordinator will also meet with the Deputy Prime Minister, Ato Addisu Legesse, and will travel to Ethiopia's Somali Region to review ongoing humanitarian efforts there.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570; Gregory Beals, OCHA-Ethiopia, + 251 011 5444162, mobile - + 251 911 25234