UN humanitarian chief concludes visit to Kenya and Somalia

(Nairobi/New York, 3 February 2011): The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ms. Valerie Amos, concluded her three-day visit to Kenya and Somalia where she reviewed the respective relief operations and assessed the challenges faced by the humanitarian community. During her mission, Ms. Amos met with senior government representatives from both countries on the issues of refugee flows, and the displacement of people as a result of conflict and environmental disasters. She stressed the importance of gaining access to people in need, particularly in conflict situations.

"In the past three days, I have had an opportunity to see for myself the devastation and impact of conflict and climate-related disasters on people in Kenya and Somalia," stated Ms. Amos. "I have also had an opportunity to speak to colleagues and partners about the importance of working together to tackle the vulnerability and risk that exist in the region. Ultimately, our collective success depends on our ability to give assistance to people in need and help them to develop long-term sustainable solutions to the challenges they face."

Recurrent droughts in Kenya and Somalia have eroded livelihoods, especially for pastoral communities who have become food insecure. There are 1.6 million food insecure people in Kenya and 2.4 million in Somalia in need of assistance, numbers that are increasing due to the severe water shortages. Ms. Amos highlighted the need for preparedness and early action as key elements of any strategy focused on responding to humanitarian emergencies, such as worsening malnutrition and food insecurity, brought about by environmental degradation, drought and conflict.

Noting that a majority of internally displaced people (IDPs) have been permanently settled in the last two years, she encouraged the Government of Kenya to prioritize the resettlement of the remaining IDPs as the country moves towards the elections in 2012. In Somalia, she visited one of the few IDP settlements where the displaced people own their land, the result of a local initiative for displaced people to secure their land rights.

"The world needs to continue to pay attention to what is happening in this part of the world," said Ms. Amos, noting that dramatic and more recent emergencies, such as the floods in Pakistan and the earthquake in Haiti, frequently overshadow chronic crises. "We must always make sure that people understand the human impact of these crises. Behind every statistic, there is a human face."

For further information, please call: Choice Okoro, OCHA-Kenya, +254 (0)732 500 020, okoroc@un.org; Dawn Elizabeth Blalock, OCHA- Somalia in Nairobi, +254 734 210 102, blalock@un.org; For interviews in Somali or Arabic, Abdi Yussuf Noor, +254 734 210 103, ;nooryussuf@un.org Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1347 244 2106, bunker@un.org; Nicholas Reader +1 212 963 4961, mobile +1 646 752 3117, reader@un.org; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile +41 79 473 4570, byrs@un.org; OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.