United Nations Secretary appoints Mary Robinson, Macharia Kamau as special envoys for El Nino, climate

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has nominated special envoys for El Nino and Climate

1. Former Irish President Mary Robinson
2. Kenyan diplomat Macharia Kamau

El Nino Weather occurrence every two to seven years results in change of rainfall patters and causes drought and flooding

Affecting Area:

1. Sudan – UN estimated that 400000 people need food due to El Nino related drought
2. Ethiopia – Experienced severe drought ever in 50 years

Statements by UN:

• The occurrence has created massive needs across the world in East Africa, Southern Africa, Central America and Pacific nations
• El Nino severely affected by Climate Change
• Severe weather pattern are expected in the future
• Provided help is not enough as it is required to build the resilience of the most susceptible
• New elected special envoys will be responsible for “raising the profile and sounding the alarm”
• We need to scale up humanitarian response and need to give full support and attention of the International Community

About Robinson:

Served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

About Kamau

• Kenya’s ambassador to the United Nations and former president of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Board
• Co-chair of the UN General Assembly working group on sustainable development goals

About El Nino

• Warm phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation`
• Associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific, including off the Pacific coast of South America.