UN humanitarian chief to embark on four-nation Persian Gulf visit

The top United Nations humanitarian official will be travelling later this week to Saudi Arabia, the first leg of a four-nation tour that will also take him to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar.

John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, is scheduled to arrive in Saudi Arabia on 5 April.

“The purpose of his visit is to strengthen collaboration and partnership between Gulf States and the United Nations in addressing humanitarian issues worldwide,” according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Mr. Holmes will be travelling with Abdul Aziz Muhammad Arrukban, who was appointed last year as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Humanitarian Envoy to ensure more effective coordination between UN relief efforts and those of governments and aid groups in the Middle East and North Africa.

They will be meeting with government officials, senior representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Red Crescent Societies to encourage their active support of UN humanitarian activities.

Mr. Holmes will also give the keynote speech at the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference on 8 April.