Karen Perrin

Karen Perrin assumed the position of Head of Office for OCHA Yemen in August 2025. She brings more than 25 years of experience in humanitarian affairs, with a strong focus on conflict and post-conflict settings across Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. Prior to joining Yemen Country Office, Perrin served in multiple leadership positions in OCHA country offices. She also served at OCHA Headquarters as Humanitarian Access Adviser. Earlier in her career, she worked with the Protection of Civilians Section of the United Nations Mission in Sudan. Before joining the United Nations, Perrin spent more than a decade as head of mission with international non-governmental organizations, where she led emergency and recovery programmes in the Balkans, Middle East and Horn of Africa. Perrin, a French national, holds master’s degrees in Political Science and International Relations from Sciences-Po (Paris Institute of Political Studies), in Development Economics from the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, and in Project Evaluation from the University of Rennes. She is fluent in French and English.