Middle East Humanitarian Appeal Spokespeople

Saleh Saeed, Chief Executive of The DEC

Saleh is joined the DEC in 2012 and has launched 13 national emergency appeals raising over £900m for crises that have included the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, the Rohingya refugee crisis, Covid-19 in the world's most fragile places, and  the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal which alone has raised over £370m.

Before joining the DEC, Saleh held a number of senior positions in the NGO sector including as chief executive of Islamic Relief Worldwide, a DEC member. He led on local public sector partnerships in the UK, including an innovative programme to promote access to new learning and social activities through the use of digital technologies.

In 2013, Saleh was awarded an OBE for services to humanitarian work and in 2019, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Birmingham City University. 
 

Gheith Bittar, Executive Director of SHIFT, ActionAid’s local partner in Lebanon  

Gheith Bittar is Executive Director of SHIFT, a local partner of DEC charity Action Aid in Lebanon. He joined SHIFT in January 2023 after 7 years working as area and then regional manager at Himaya, pour l'innocence en danger, an advocacy campaign to protect working children and their families, and to activate the national action plan for eliminating child labor in Lebanon.

During this critical time in Lebanon, SHiFT are providing crucial assistance to displaced families in Tripoli. 
 

Rachel Cummings

Rachael has been working in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) since October 2023, initially based in Ramallah before relocating to Gaza in February. Rachael brings extensive experience in humanitarian public health. Prior to her current role, she served as the Director of Humanitarian Public Health at Save the Children in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where she led the Emergency Health Unit’s COVID-19 response.

Rachael is currently in the UK on a break from duties in Gaza.

Ghada Al Haddad

Ghada is currently Oxfam media and communications officer at Oxfam providing humanitarian relief in Gaza. Ghada grew up in Gaza and studied English Language and Literature at the Islamic University of Gaza.

Ghada and her family have been displaced many times, she is currently in Deir Al Balah. She can talk about Oxfam’s work to get water and food to the people in Gaza as well as her own personal experiences.

Dr Unni Krishnan

Dr Unni Krishnan is Global Humanitarian Director at Plan International has over 25 years experience working on humanitarian, development and health issues. He is currently the Global Humanitarian Director at Plan International and is based in London.  

A trained physician, Unni has worked in over 50 countries spread across 6 continents, often in hostile and challenging settings. Along with leading Plan International’s humanitarian work, Unni has worked in numerous senior management, leadership and advisory positions of groups such as Oxfam, Save the Children and War Child, and has contributed to various interagency and UN initiatives.
 

Julie Mehigan 

Julie is Christian Aid’s Head of Asia, Middle East and Europe at Christian Aid. She is responsible for overseeing and managing Christian Aid’s portfolio of development and advocacy work across these regions. She was previously Christian Aid’s IoPt Programme Manager and her work in the region dates to 2012. She has also worked in Human Rights, including with Amnesty International.

Julie has been in the middle east region for the last year. She has worked closely with our partners over the last year, including being in close touch in the days and weeks after 7 October.
An experienced broadcast spokesperson, on TV and broadcast.

Zeina Zouein

Zeina is Deputy Director of Programmes with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Lebanon, leading the development and implementation of humanitarian programmes for those most in need. Born and raised in a conflict-torn country, Zeina brings personal insight to her work, viewing robust humanitarian response as both a necessity and a moral imperative. Under her leadership, IRC in Lebanon is providing essential support including cash assistance, healthcare, mental health services, and shelter improvements.

Zeina's expertise spans emergency response and long-term recovery efforts, focusing on helping marginalised populations rebuild their lives and communities. Her work encompasses free medical consultations, support for unaccompanied children, and assistance to survivors of gender-based violence.

Heidi Frances Diedrich is an experienced humanitarian with experience from both the public and private sectors. 
From 2011-2019, Heidi was based in the Kurdistan region of Iraq where she primarily focused on addressing human rights abuses and from 2019-2024, she worked in Sudan, serving as Executive Director and Country Director for Alight, formerly the American Refugee Committee (ARC). 

Over her career, she has held senior roles with organisations such as NRC, Mercy Corps, and Heartland Alliance International.