REGIONAL HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR GREAT LAKES REGION APPOINTED
Press Release
IHA/622
REGIONAL HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR GREAT LAKES REGION APPOINTED
19970314 NEW YORK, 14 March (Department of Humanitarian Affairs) -- The Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Yasushi Akashi, today announced the appointment of Pierce Gerety as Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Great Lakes Region. Mr. Gerety, a United States national, succeeds Martin Griffiths, who has resumed his functions as Director of the Geneva Office of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs.Mr. Gerety has most recently served as Great Lakes Region Emergency Coordinator for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). He has also acted as Coordinator and UNICEF Chief of Operations for Operation Lifeline Sudan (Southern Sector) and as UNICEF Representative in Somalia. Prior to that, he served with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as Deputy Director of International Protection and Deputy Chief of Mission in Pakistan. His legal training at Harvard University and his work at the field level with two non-governmental organizations -- International Rescue Committee and Catholic Relief Services -- add to his experience with the United Nations system.
The Regional Coordinator, who will be based in Nairobi, will continue to coordinate the response of the United Nations system to the continuing humanitarian challenges in the Great Lakes region of Africa.
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