Ted Chaiban was appointed as Regional Director, MENA in October 2019. Prior to this assignment, he was the Director of Programmes for UNICEF where he provided strategic leadership, management support and overall direction to UNICEF’s programming, where he spearheaded the development of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children and Education Cannot Wait to address violence against children and education in emergencies matters, grounded UNICEF’s work for children on the move and guided the integration of humanitarian and development work.
From 2012 - 2014 Mr. Chaiban was Director of Emergency Programmes for UNICEF where he mobilized support for UNICEF’s response to large scale emergencies in Syria, the Central African Republic, the Philippines and South Sudan and designed and initiated a humanitarian reform process, known as the Strengthening Humanitarian Action initiative, to increase the timeliness, effectiveness and efficiency of UNICEF’s humanitarian action. From 2009 to 2012, he was UNICEF Representative in Ethiopia where he expanded UNICEF’s contribution to the country’s Health Extension Programme, supported Ethiopia’s investment in early childhood education and quality basic education and supported the establishment of a social protection platform based on community care structures. The office also responded to the 2011 Horn of Africa drought.
Before joining UNICEF Ethiopia, Mr. Chaiban was UNICEF Representative in Sudan. As Representative in Sudan, he implemented a new programme structure reflecting the architecture of Sudan’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement, managed UNICEF’s response to the crisis in Darfur and advanced post-conflict recovery and reconstruction in Southern Sudan as it was emerging from over 20 years of conflict.
From 2002 to 2005, Mr. Chaiban was the UNICEF Representative in Sri Lanka. In January 2005, Sri Lanka was hit by a devastating tsunami and he led UNICEF’s response to the disaster. Mr. Chaiban joined UNICEF in 1997 as Deputy Chief of Operations for the Operation Lifeline Sudan Consortium, based in Nairobi and coordinating the consortium’s programme activities in Southern Sudan. In 2000, he was appointed Regional Emergency Adviser in UNICEF’s Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, responsible for coordinating support to country offices managing emergencies.
Prior to joining UNICEF, Mr. Chaiban was Country Representative for Catholic Relief Services in Haiti, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan. He also worked as a Programme Manager focusing on food security and child survival.
Mr. Chaiban is a national of both the United States of America and Lebanon. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and Political Science from Tufts University and a Master of Arts Degree in Development and Arab Studies from Georgetown University, USA.