Mervat Shelbaya

Mervat Shelbaya was appointed OCHA's Director of the Partnerships Branch in 2026. In her role, she leads engagement with Member States, regional organizations, United Nations entities, the private sector and other key stakeholders to advance resource mobilization in support of crisis-affected people. She brings more than 25 years of experience across humanitarian operations, diplomacy and system-level policy leadership, including several senior leadership roles within OCHA. Prior to her current position, Shelbaya headed the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Secretariat and served as Director of OCHA’s Inter-Agency Support Branch. She has also held leadership roles within OCHA’s Operations and Advocacy Division overseeing response portfolios in the Asia-Pacific region and served as Deputy Chief of the World Humanitarian Summit Secretariat, contributing to the delivery of the 2016 Summit. Before joining OCHA, Shelbaya worked with the World Food Programme in Afghanistan, Jordan, Iraq, Liberia, the United Arab Emirates and Rome, and served as Deputy Country Director with ADRA International in the Balkans.Shelbaya holds a Bachelor's in Economics from the American University in Cairo and an MBA from École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées. An Egyptian national, Shelbaya is fluent in English and Arabic.