UN to open Asian office of Internet clearinghouse for emergency, disaster information

The top United Nations official in charge of humanitarian affairs will open the Asian office of ReliefWeb, the world body's electronic clearinghouse for information on humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters.

On Thursday, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Kenzo Oshima, will launch the ReliefWeb office in Kobe, Japan, within the Asia Disaster Reduction Centre. Once open, the office will enhance the availability and dissemination of reliable information for humanitarian decision-makers.

ReliefWeb is a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The site was launched in 1994 by humanitarian groups who saw the need for an online global humanitarian information system, and has evolved into the premier global online source of information on natural disasters and complex emergencies.

ReliefWeb centralizes and disseminates information on humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters. Each month, users in more than 170 countries submit up to half a million requests for emergency reports, background information, maps, appeals, and contribution tracking.

There are currently ReliefWeb offices in New York and Geneva.