The
Future
of
Human
itarian
Aid
#HuCo2019
Vienna
29/03/2019
Slider schmal Frau (Key Sujet)

Shelbaya



Mervat Shelbaya

Head, Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) secretariat and Director, Inter-Agency Support Branch (IASB)

Panellist
The Humanitarian Imperative is Non-Negotiable

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Ms. Shelbaya is the Head of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) secretariat, appointed by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. In this capacity Ms. Shelbaya plays a critical role supporting UN and non-UN humanitarian partners in this unique humanitarian forum on critical operational, policy and advocacy issues in support of strengthened humanitarian action.

She is also Director of OCHA’s Inter-Agency Support Branch (IASB)  which, in addition to the IASC secretariat, comprises key inter-agency services and tools, including the Humanitarian Leadership Strengthening Section (HLSS) which serves as the primary adviser to the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) and the IASC on issues relating to humanitarian leadership, such as the identification of high potential HC candidates, appointment of HCs, and leadership development and support.

Ms. Shelbaya has over 20 years of experience in humanitarian affairs, including serving as the Deputy Chief of the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) secretariat where she was instrumental in delivering on a successful Summit in 2016, which brought together more than 9,000 participants and culminated in key commitments made by global leaders to address the root causes of conflict, end need and enable countries and communities to better prepare for and respond to crises and be more resilient to shocks.

Ms. Shelbaya also managed response in the Asia-Pacific region as Section Chief in OCHA’s Operations and Advocacy Division and served as Deputy Chief of the Partnership Section, strengthening engagement and cooperation with Governments, Regional Organizations, Civil Society, and the Private sector. Prior to joining OCHA, she served with the UN World Food Programme in Afghanistan, Jordan, Liberia, the UAE and Rome in the areas of programming, preparedness, partnerships and monitoring and evaluation.

Ms. Shelbaya also served as Director of Operations with ADRA International in Kukes, Albania and jump-started and managed its operations in Kosovo.

Ms. Shelbaya is married and is a mother of two. She is a national of Egypt.