The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced the appointment of Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef as its new Country Representative in Nigeria.
Before her new role, Wafaa served as UNICEF’s Country Representative in Somalia, where she led numerous initiatives in both humanitarian and development contexts. With over 20 years of service in the UN system, she brings a wealth of experience from various United Nations agencies including the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UNICEF, and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Her extensive fieldwork covers several countries affected by crises, including Sudan, Somalia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Syria, and Ethiopia. She has also held leadership roles within OCHA at both its New York and Geneva offices, contributing to global strategies for emergency response and development programming.
Wafaa’s professional journey began before her UN service, working in Sudan with the private sector, academia, and non-governmental organizations, focusing on displaced populations and environmental conservation.
She holds a Master of Architecture from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, a Master of Physical Planning, and a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Khartoum.
