On 2 May 2023, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Edward Chaiban of Lebanon as Assistant Secretary-General to serve as the Deputy Executive Director, Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Previously Mr. Chaiban was the Global Lead Coordinator for COVID-19 Vaccines Delivery Partnership (CoVDP), since February 2022, heading an inter-agency partnership put together by UNICEF, WHO and Gavi.

Working for UNICEF, he has been Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Director of Programmes, Director of Emergency Programmes, Representative in Ethiopia, Sudan and Sri Lanka, Regional Emergency Advisor for the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office and Deputy Chief of Operations for the Operation Lifeline Sudan consortium based in Nairobi.

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 Lebanon and the United States of America. 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.