United Nations humanitarian envoy John Holmes is due to arrive in Jerusalem on Thursday on his first official visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel, the U.N. spokesperson's office said. Holmes, the under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator (UNHCR), will be assessing the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the West Bank, and the southern Israeli town of Sderot on his five-day trip. He is scheduled to meet with U.N. personnel, relief organizations, donor supporters, and diplomats. UNHCR told SPA on Thursday that Holmes is visiting these areas now “since the crossings closed and cuts in fuel supply.” They said he wants “to speak to everybody on all sides” to reach “concrete measures” to allow for the flow of humanitarian aid and supplies into the Gaza Strip. Holmes in late January warned of a looming humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip after Israel decided to close the Karni border crossing into the araea. He also emphasized then that there had been an escalation of violence that make humanitarian efforts in Gaza difficult. The United Nations and a number of humanitarian groups are calling for $461.2 million in aid for Palestinians, in the wake of the border crossing closure in the Gaza Strip. Holmes is set to depart the area on Monday, February 18, just as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is reportedly scheduled to arrive in Jerusalem. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will be meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush and Secretary Rice on Friday, February 15. The three are expected to discuss the Middle East peace process.
