United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the appointment of Valerie Amos, a national of the United Kingdom, as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. She succeeds John Holmes, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his dedicated service to the Organization and commitment to alleviating the conditions of the many peoples affected by emergency situations.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the launch of the revised flash appeal for Haiti, in New York today, 18 February:

United Nations Messengers of Peace and Goodwill Ambassadors acted quickly in the days following the 12 January earthquake in Haiti to raise money, increase awareness and help the people of Haiti rebuild their country and their lives.

Following is the full text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks on the launch of the first World Humanitarian Day, today in New York:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message for World Humanitarian Day, 19 August:

The first World Humanitarian Day will be observed on Wednesday, 19 August, at United Nations Headquarters with a wreath-laying ceremony remembering the victims of the 2003 attack on the United Nations in Baghdad, followed by the opening of an exhibition of posters and photographs capturing the images of humanitarian workers in action.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

26 March 2009

Press ReleaseIHA/1273

Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York

‘LEFT IN THE DARK; THE UNMET NEED FOR COMMUNICATION IN HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE’

SUBJECT OF HIGH-LEVEL PANEL HELD AT UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS

4 December 2008

Secretary-GeneralSG/SM/11984 IHA/1272

Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York

SECRETARY-GENERAL, AT HEADQUARTERS CONFERENCE, APPEALS FOR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS

TO EMERGENCY RESPONSE FUND, SAYING ‘THERE ARE MILLIONS OF LIVES AT STAKE’

25 November 2008

Secretary-GeneralSG/SM/11952 AFR/1781 IHA/1271

Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York

ALARMED BY DESPERATE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE, SECRETARY-GENERAL VOICES

REGRET AT DECISION NOT TO COOPERATE WITH ELDERS’ ASSISTANCE INITIATIVE

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: