United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Matthias Schmale of Germany as the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, with the host Government’s approval, starting on 11 August.  Mr. Schmale succeeds Denise Brown to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedicated service.
Mr. Schmale brings more than 30 years of experience in humanitarian and development work.  He previously served as Senior Adviser to the UN Development Coordination Office’s regional team for Africa, as Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (a.i) in Nigeria, and in several high-level positions with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA), including Director for UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, Gaza and New York, acting Chief of Staff and acting Deputy Commissioner General.
Before joining the United Nations, he held senior positions in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, and non-government organizations at global, regional and country level, including in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
He holds a PhD in development economics and a master’s degree in macroeconomics from Berlin’s Free University.
