The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has announced the appointment of Mohamed Yahya, a Somali national, as the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Coordinator for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Mohamed Yahya succeeds Joyce Msuya of Tanzania, whom the Secretary-General and the Emergency Coordinator commend for her long-standing contribution and service to the humanitarian community.
The new official has more than two decades of experience in development, humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding. His experience has ranged from United Nations headquarters to regional and country level in Africa and South Asia.
Mohamed Yahya is currently the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, where he leads one of the largest UN operations in the Asia-Pacific region. He also led the coordination of the United Nations response to the 2025 Pakistan floods.
Prior to his appointment to Pakistan, Mohamed Yahya was the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in Nigeria, leading one of the agency’s largest offices in the world. He also managed the UNDP Africa Regional Programme, working with the African Union to strengthen conflict prevention and stabilization in African countries.
