Martin Griffiths, the U.N. humanitarian chief, is stepping down from his role due to health reasons after nearly three years of addressing humanitarian crises in Ukraine, Gaza, and Africa. The United Nations announced this news on Monday, praising Griffiths for his leadership and service in advocating for those affected by crises and mobilizing resources to meet their needs.
Griffiths, who is 72 years old, recently suffered from a severe case of COVID-19 in October and is still dealing with long-term effects. He took on the role of U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator in July 2021 during a time when global crises were escalating while funding for humanitarian aid was declining.
Before becoming the U.N.’s top humanitarian official, Griffiths served as the U.N. special envoy for Yemen for three years. He will continue in his current role until the end of June to ensure a smooth transition.
Throughout his career, he has held various positions in international humanitarian organizations, including director of the U.N. Department of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva and the founding director of the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue.
Griffiths has also been a special adviser to U.N. envoys for Syria and was involved in the early years of the conflict in Syria as the deputy head of the U.N. mission there.
With his vast experience in diplomacy and humanitarian work, Griffiths has made significant contributions to addressing crises and supporting vulnerable communities around the world.
The United Nations praised Griffiths’ leadership and service as they thanked him for his dedicated efforts towards helping those affected by crises worldwide.
