David Carden

David Carden was appointed OCHA's Head of Office in South Sudan in 2025, after 30 years of extensive international experience in humanitarian work. Carden was Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, based in Türkiye (Gaziantep). Ahead of this role, he served as OCHA's Head of Office in Myanmar, where he was also appointed Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator. Prior to his appointment in Myanmar, Carden was Deputy Director in OCHA’s Operations and Advocacy Division in New York with management oversight of 10 countries in West and Central Africa. He has also served as OCHA's Head of Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in the Philippines, including during the response to Super Typhoon Haiyan. Carden has also held key positions with OCHA in various other countries, including Lebanon, Georgia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, and the Balkans. Before joining OCHA, Carden worked with the UN Department of Political Affairs in South Africa, the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia, and as an analyst in the private sector in London and South-East Asia. Carden is a British national and has a Bachelor's degree in languages at Durham University in the UK and a Master's degree in International Environmental Law. He is fluent in English and French.