El Nino Is Severely Affecting Ethiopia, UN

A top UN official on humanitarian affairs warned today El Nino is severely affecting Ethiopia, where droughts have led to a “massive spike” in food and water needs across the country.

Kyung-wha Kang, the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator in the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),
recently came back from a mission to Ethiopia where she briefed the African Union Peace and Security Council on the humanitarian impact of El Nino.

Kang told at a press briefing at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Ethiopia was “currently experiencing one of the most powerful impact of El Nino on record, which came on the heels of failed spring rains, the so-called belg rains.”

She also warned “the lack of rainfall and subsequent drought has led to a massive spike in food, nutrition and water needs across the country.”

The humanitarian affairs official urged the international community to “step up in support of the Ethiopian government and people at this time of severe need.”

At the beginning of November, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it is ramping up efforts with regional offices and partners to help countries curb potential deaths, illness, malnutrition and psychosocial effects resulting from El Nino.

The UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned that the current event is one of the strongest ever measured and that the last major El Nino in 1997-1998, known as Super El Nino, wrought widespread havoc and erased years of development gains.

STORY: UN / ETHIOPIA HUMANITARIAN PRESSER

SOURCE: UNIFEED-UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 25 NOVEMBER 2015, NEW YORK CITY / RECENT
SHOTLIST
RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters

25 NOVEMBER 2015, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, press briefing in progress
3. Med shot, photographer
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Kyung-wha Kang, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator in the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“Ethiopia is currently experiencing one of the most powerful impact of El Nino on record, which came on the heels of failed spring rains, the so-called belg rains.”
5. Med shot, press briefing in progress
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Kyung-wha Kang, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator in the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“The lack of rainfall and subsequent drought has led to a massive spike in food, nutrition and water needs across the country.”
7. Med shot, press briefing in progress
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Kyung-wha Kang, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator in the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“The international community must step up in support of the Ethiopian government and people at this time of severe need. While the current El Nino and El Nina drought is common in the Horn of Africa, the intensity this year is equal to, if not greater than, the so-called Super El Nino of 1997-1998.”
9. Zoom out, end of press briefing

DURATION: 01:05