INTRO: Under the unique and inspiring leadership of Mr. James Morris, the Special Envoy for humanitarian needs in Southern Africa, the UN agency members of RIACSO have worked together and provided necessary coordination and support functions in the intensified response to the crisis in Southern Africa. 

The crisis started as food insecurity due to drought, but soon included the impact of HIV/AIDS and weakened national human resource capacity – referred to as the ‘triple threat’. During the same process, the role of RIACSO also evolved to a higher level of support in the form of the Regional Directors’ Team (RDT).

The UNFPA Executive Director, Mrs. Thoraya Obaid, is personally leading the agency’s response by marshalling its resources at HQ, regional and country levels, including the recent addition of about US$ 20 million for “Intensifying UNFPA’s HIV/AIDS Response in Africa”.

The Photo Gallery is a UNFPA initiative to provide space for photographers (amateur and professional) to exhibit their work and make a modest contribution to the global response to the triple threat. The objective of the Gallery is to create a rich visual portrait of developments in the southern Africa region - with focus on population, sexual and reproductive health, as well as gender issues.

Now that the gallery is up and running, photographers are invited to make their contributions, which will be exhibited according to a theme or according to photographer(s). We hope that this space will provide a picture of the context, as well as give voice to both the UNFPA staff working in the region and the lives of the people they affect.

Dr Gebreamlak Ogbaselassie