New UN relief chief takes office
November 18, 2024
- New York – Martin Griffiths took office today as the new Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, the United Nations announced.
In his new role, Griffiths will oversee the UN’s humanitarian response to crises around the world, including providing food, shelter, water, and medical care to people in need. He will also work to coordinate the efforts of the UN’s humanitarian agencies and partners.
Griffiths brings a wealth of experience to this role. He has served as the UN Special Envoy for Yemen since 2018, where he has been working to negotiate an end to the conflict and address the humanitarian crisis in the country. Prior to that, he was the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Yemen.
Griffiths is a British national who has worked in humanitarian relief for over 30 years. He has held senior positions with the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and other humanitarian organizations.
In his acceptance speech, Griffiths said that he was “honored and humbled” to be appointed to this role. He pledged to work tirelessly to help the world’s most vulnerable people.
“I believe that humanitarian assistance is a moral imperative,” Griffiths said. “We must do everything we can to alleviate suffering and save lives.”
Griffiths takes over from Mark Lowcock, who has served as the UN’s humanitarian chief since 2017. Lowcock is stepping down to become the new head of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
Additional information
- Griffiths is the first British national to hold the position of UN humanitarian chief.
- He is also the first person to hold the position without having previously worked for OCHA.
- Griffiths is a graduate of the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics.
- He is married and has two children.
New UN relief chief takes office
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