UN HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS OFFICE FORMALIZES AGREEMENT WITH SWISS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY ON FIELD SUPPORT FOR ETHIOPIA

UN HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS OFFICE FORMALIZES AGREEMENT WITH SWISS

DEVELOPMENT AGENCY ON FIELD SUPPORT FOR ETHIOPIA

      ADDIS ABABA, 11 December 2003 –-The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ethiopia and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), through the Office for Swiss Humanitarian Aid (SHA), formalized a joint project today in Addis Ababa to support field operations for humanitarian assessments, advocacy and coordination.  The United NationsHumanitarian Coordinator, Samuel Nyambi signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that formalized the joint activity on behalf of OCHA and René Schaetti, Ambassador of Switzerland to Ethiopia, signed on behalf of the Swiss Government.

The objective of this agreement is to provide an overall framework for collaboration and cooperation between OCHA and SDC in which both will contribute towards activities to support emergency early warning, monitoring of humanitarian situations, assessing needs in a comprehensive manner, and the undertaking of special field studies related to humanitarian issues that affect large segments of the population of Ethiopia.   This project will support and enhance the efforts of the government of Ethiopia, principally through the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC) to prepare for and respond quickly to emerging and ongoing emergency situations in the country, such as the 2002/2003 drought from which the country is only now beginning to recover.

The SDC is providing a senior field advisor to support the joint project as well as short-term experts to undertake special studies and assessments.  They will also contribute towards the supply and operation of the field unit within OCHA.  The senior field advisor, Ulrich Mueller, arrived in country on 1 December 2003.  Mr. Mueller was the Head of several International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegations and sub-delegations in Southern and Western Africa and Latin America from 1991-2002, and prior to that, he was a journalist with Swiss Radio and Television.  The Head of the OCHA Office in Ethiopia, Paul Hebert, noted, “Mr. Mueller brings invaluable humanitarian experience to this joint activity and his journalistic background will no doubt contribute greatly towards OCHA’s efforts to promote humanitarian advocacy for the most vulnerable populations in the country”. The SDC has provided similar support to Ethiopia through provision of field experts since the humanitarian crisis in 1984.

The OCHA Office in Ethiopia is responsible to ensure overall coordination among the United Nationshumanitarian agencies for provision of humanitarian assistance within the country.  They act as secretariat to the United Nations Country Team, directly support the United NationsHumanitarian Coordinator, provide information on emergency situations to the broader humanitarian community in Ethiopia, and contribute towards emergency early warning and assessment in the country.  In carrying out all of the above activities and in support of preparation of annual joint humanitarian appeals, OCHA works directly with the DPPC and other government line ministries.

      For more information, please contact the United Nations OCHA – Ethiopia; tel.:  (251) 1 44 4414 /  (251) 1 44 4151, fax:  (251) 1- 511292, e-mail:  ocha-eth@un.org; web site: www.ocha-eth.org.

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