UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appointed Mark Lowcock, the head of Britain's international development department, as the world body's new humanitarian aid chief, AFP reported Wednesday (May 10th).
Lowcock, 54, will replace Stephen O'Brien, who held the post for two years, and is the first UN aid chief appointed by Guterres, who has pledged to improve the UN's response to global crises.
His appointment comes as the UN faces the largest humanitarian crisis in its history, with mass famine looming in four countries and donor funding falling far short of needs.
Lowcock will be tasked with leading the UN's struggling relief efforts in Syria along with major aid operations in Yemen, Iraq, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Lake Chad region.
