UN humanitarian envoy to visit Cote d'Ivoire next week

The United Nations Secretary-General's Humanitarian Envoy to Côte d'Ivoire, Carolyn McAskie, will visit the country's capital, Abidjan, next week on an evaluation mission, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today.

She will arrive in Abidjan on Sunday for a her fourth evaluation visit, during which she will meet governmental authorities, UN agencies and a broad range of national and international humanitarian workers. She will review the humanitarian situation and assess the country's needs, especially for aid to refugees and displaced people, OCHA said.

During her mission, Ms. McAskie hopes to mobilize contributions totalling $59 million for the 2004 UN Consolidated Appeal for Côte d'Ivoire. She will also draw the attention of the international community to the risk that the humanitarian situation might deteriorate if the vital, immediate needs of almost a million people are not filled.