PRESS RELEASE
5 October 2009

New Director for UNRWA Syria

Damascus, 5 October 2009

Mr. Roger Hearn, an Australian national, assumed his duties as Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Syrian Arab Republic on 1 October 2009. Mr. Hearn rejoins UNRWA after having served as Senior External Relations Officer at the Agency’s Headquarters in Gaza from 2002 to 2004.

Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Hearn was based in Cairo with CARE International as its Regional Director, Middle East and Europe. Mr. Hearn has also served senior leadership positions in policy development and planning with the UN in Timor-Leste (UNTAET), Oxfam International, the World Health Organization and the Victorian Parliament.

Mr. Hearn holds a bachelor degree in Social Work, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Administration, and a PhD in Political Science from the University Melbourne, Australia.

UNRWA provides education, healthcare, social services, shelter, and micro-credit services to over 450,000 Palestine refugees in Syria.

For information only Not an official record

For further information please contact:

Hala Mukhles
0940888103