Valerie Amos, the top United Nations official for humanitarian assistance, is stepping down after four years in charge of overseeing U.N.-led international relief efforts in some of the world’s most troubled nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on Wednesday.
Amos, a Guyana-born British citizen, “helped find solutions for people who are facing the worst experiences of their lives," Ban said in a statement.
While she did not give an official reason for her departure, the outgoing head of the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs wrote in a letter to her colleagues posted on the OCHA website that she will be leaving both the agency and the world body in March 2015 and highlighted how OCHA has become more effective in its operations under her leadership.
About the author
Carlos Santamaria
Carlos is a former associate editor for breaking news in Devex's Manila-based news team. He joined Devex after a decade working for international wire services Reuters, AP, Xinhua, EFE ,and Philippine social news network Rappler in Madrid, Beijing, Manila, New York, and Bangkok. During that time, he also covered natural disasters on the ground in Myanmar and Japan.
