Toby Lanzer takes up assignment as Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel

Dakar, 27 July 2015: Toby Lanzer took up his assignment as Regional Coordinator for the Sahel last week in Dakar. Mr. Lanzer succeeds Robert Piper who has held the position since March 2013.

Toby Lanzer, a British national, brings over twenty years of experience with the United Nations, most of which were dedicated to working in conflict and crisis-affected countries. Most recently, he served as the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, where he was responsible for the largest aid operation in Africa. Prior to this, he worked on development, humanitarian and peacekeeping issues in a range of countries, including Angola, Brazil, the Central African Republic, Chile, Georgia and Timor-Leste.

Across the Sahel, over twenty million people are chronically food insecure. Further, conflicts and insecurity in Mali, north-east Nigeria and neighbouring Central African Republic have displaced over 3.4 million people, twice as many as one year ago.

“I relish the opportunity of working in this vibrant region,” said Toby Lanzer. “Humanitarian action in the Sahel must tackle the most pressing needs while simultaneously helping to improve families’ self-reliance.”

For 2015, US$ 1.97 billion is required for humanitarian assistance for millions affected in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, the Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal. To date, US$ 640 million, or just under one third of the requirements, has been contributed to the Sahel Humanitarian Response Plan.