You may recall in the last story in our series on famine we heard from Reena Ghelani, the new United Nations coordinator for famine prevention and response, on some of the proposals NGOs are demanding. For our next installment in the series, this week I bring you a profile of Ghelani, who’s had a 17-year career with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, including in drought-affected Somalia.
It was after a trip there with OCHA chief Martin Griffiths last summer that the Australian was asked by the U.N. secretary-general to take up the new post to lead and organize a systemwide response to the worst levels of food insecurity, coordinating both the humanitarian and development sectors, regional bodies, and governments.
“This region’s dear to my heart, not just Somalia, so I grabbed it,” Ghelani tells me. “I grew up in this industry.”
About the author
Teresa Welshtmawelsh
Teresa Welsh is a Senior Reporter at Devex. She has reported from more than 10 countries and is currently based in Washington, D.C. Her coverage focuses on Latin America; U.S. foreign assistance policy; fragile states; food systems and nutrition; and refugees and migration. Prior to joining Devex, Teresa worked at McClatchy's Washington Bureau and covered foreign affairs for U.S. News and World Report. She was a reporter in Colombia, where she previously lived teaching English. Teresa earned bachelor of arts degrees in journalism and Latin American studies from the University of Wisconsin.
