UNITED NATIONS EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR APPOINTS NEW GREAT LAKES REGIONAL HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR

Press Release
IHA/615

UNITED NATIONS EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR APPOINTS NEW GREAT LAKES REGIONAL HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR

NEW YORK, 23 December (DHA) -- The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Yasushi Akashi, announced the appointment of Martin Griffiths, Director of the Geneva Office of the Department of Humanitarian affairs, as Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Great Lakes Region, replacing Sergio Vieira de Mello, Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees.

Mr. Griffiths has been serving as Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator under Mr. Vieira de Mello since their appointments on 6 November.

The Regional Coordinator, to be based in Nairobi, will coordinate the response of the United Nations system to the continuing humanitarian challenges in the Great Lakes region of Africa.

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