Off the wire
• Multiple major news outlets denied entry of White House press briefing  • Abbas lauds Lebanon for role in pushing Palestinian cause  • Feature: Syrians eager to see tangible results in Geneva talks  • East Africa, Italy ink police cooperation deal  • SADC pledges to support DR Congo in preparations for 2018 polls  • At least 10 killed, 30 injured in Argentina bus collision  • Iraqi forces push deeper into IS-held western side of Mosul  • Construction picks up in Estonia in 2016  • EU hesitates to lap up Trump's sudden turnaround  • Scotland's military bases to be upgraded as part of 2 bln USD-plus program  
You are here: 　 Home

UN relief chief to travel to Yemen, Somalia, Kenya

Xinhua, February 25, 2017 Adjust font size:

Stephen O'Brien, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, will travel from Oslo to Yemen, Somalia and Kenya between Feb. 26 and March 5 to meet people most affected by humanitarian crises, a UN spokesman said here Friday.

"In all three countries, Mr. O'Brien will meet people most affected by humanitarian crises, which are caused chiefly by conflict and drought," Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

"Millions of people in Yemen and Somalia face the very real risk of famine over the coming six months if aid efforts are not rapidly scaled up," the spokesman said.

In Yemen, more than 7 million people are severely food insecure and 460,000 children are suffering severe acute malnutrition, while in Somalia nearly 3 million people urgently need food assistance, he said.

Kenya declared a drought emergency on Feb. 10, with at least 23 counties affected, he said, adding that the number of food insecure people in Kenya has more than doubled to 2.7 million in the past six months.

O'Brien will meet with stakeholders on the humanitarian crises in all three countries, he added. Endit