Guterres appoints Amin Awad of Sudan UN crisis coordinator for Ukraine

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Amin Awad of Sudan as Assistant Secretary-General to serve as UN Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine.

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Amin Awad of Sudan as Assistant Secretary-General to serve as United Nations Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine.

Awad, who has served in a range of senior roles with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), including as Director for the Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa and Director of Division of Emergency, Security and Supply, brings with him over 30 years of experience in the field of humanitarian affairs, strategic action, planning and development.

Awad has also served in leadership roles in complex field operations, including as UNHCR Representative in Sri Lanka, Regional Coordinator for the Iraq Operations and Humanitarian Coordinator and Representative in North Macedonia.

He served extensively in the Middle East and the Commonwealth of the Independent States, former Yugoslavia, South and Southwest Asia and Africa.

His appointment comes amid the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crisis. Media reports say that Russia is advancing in the capital city of Ukraine and other parts of the country.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to defend his country while standing on a Kyiv street with other leaders of his administration.