UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs visits Iraq

Mr. Kenzo Oshima, the Emergency Relief Coordinator for the UN system, will be in Iraq from 16 - 18 May, 2003, visiting Baghdad, Basra and the Lower South region of the country.
The purpose of the trip is to gain a first-hand appreciation of the humanitarian situation in Iraq, as well as the future humanitarian needs within the country.

He will review the coordination of humanitarian assistance between the UN system and non-governmental organizations, and with other International Organizations.

Mr. Oshima will, in addition, evaluate relations between the UN and the Occupying Power, and hold discussions with the Office of Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA).

As Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs for the United Nations, Mr. Oshima will also be paying close attention to the resource mobilization strategies for future UN humanitarian activities.

Before leaving Iraq, he would like to thank the national staff of the United Nations for their dedication to duty and their substantial contribution to the humanitarian work of the UN for the Iraqi people.

Mr. Oshima will also travel to Jordan and Kuwait to meet the UN Resident Coordinator in each country to discuss regional humanitarian coordination and strategies.