During a week-long tour Morris would visit Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia, where 15-million people's lives were threatened by a combination of severe food shortages and HIV/Aids, the UN said in a statement.
"The mission will review current responses to the humanitarian crisis and follow up on the findings of Morris' first mission in September, which highlighted the role that HIV/Aids has played in exacerbating the current crisis.
"The mission will place special emphasis on the impact of the pandemic and, in particular, look at how the UN system and the international community can more effectively assist women, whose lives are more at risk from the disease."
A team of senior officials, including the UN Secretary-General's special envoy for HIV/Aids in Africa, Stephen Lewis, and Southern African Development Community executive secretary Prega Ramsamy, would accompany Morris.
They would meet government officials, donor governments and aid agency representatives in each country, and pay site visits to see how specific projects were changing people's lives, the UN said.
"The mission comes at a time when the UN Consolidated Appeal for Southern Africa for US611-million (about R5,3-billion) remains seriously under-resourced, with only US352-million (about R3,1-billion, 58 percent) in confirmed donations to date.
"In particular, funds for non-food items, such as medicines, health care, education, water and sanitation supplies, are desperately needed."
The mission would visit Lesotho on Wednesday and Thursday, and then proceed to Zimbabwe, where they would remain until Saturday.
From there officials would go to Malawi, which they would visit until Monday, before leaving for Zambia - Sapa.
EMAIL THIS ARTICLE SAVE THIS ARTICLE FEEDBACK
To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here







