I have more than 18 years’ experience in coordinating the designing, planning, implementation and management of integrated nutrition and health; food security interventions including formulation of nutrition country strategies with experience ranging from emergencies; protracted, relief & recovery; resilience & development context in Southern, Eastern, Northern and Horn of Africa, Middle East and South Asia. I hold a Master Degree in Public Health; Post graduate diploma in project planning and management programme; B.Sc. Nutrition Degree; Regional certificate in Nutritional care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS, and other relevant professional trainings and qualifications.

Currently I am working with International Medical Corps (IMC) seconded to UNICEF as South Sudan Nutrition Cluster Co-Coordinator. I also worked with WFP as a CO Nutrition Coordinator, previously as Nutritionist/ Team Leader and Regional Emergency Coordinator in Ethiopia, as Nutritionist-Head of Unit (Yemen) responding to the L3 crisis in covering the 22 governorates across the country; also worked as Program Officer-Nutrition (Sudan) responsible for nutrition-specific and sensitive projects designing, planning, implementation and coordination in 8 States of Central and Eastern Sudan with a protracted/ chronic humanitarian context. I have also largely contributed to the nutrition strategy formulation, expansion of community-based nutrition integrated platform (CINP) in Sudan focusing on the following interventions centered on building community resilience: TSFP, MCHN, Food-Based Prevention of MAM (FBPM), Home Fortification, Universal Salt Iodization, and SBCC. I was and am a steering committee member actively involved in Scaling Up in Nutrition (SUN) Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen and Ethiopia respectively.

I also have vast experience in Nutrition Cluster Coordination in South Sudan and Somalia as a Deputy Nutrition Cluster Coordinator where I have contributed to the establishment of a more coherent and effective response by mobilizing groups of agencies, organizations and NGOs to respond in a strategic coordinated manner across the nutrition clusters and sectors. With the proper understanding, supporting, strengthening and promotion of nutrition and health structures have managed to set functional 14 sub-national clusters in different regions in Somalia with standardized cluster approaches i.e. held regular monthly meetings at regional level. All cluster meetings were held with clear agenda for discussion, follow up and action points, attended by most partners and documented through comprehensive minutes. At the sub-national level, the nutrition working groups (representing the cluster) mainly established to address the needs of IDPs, conflict affected population and providing technical support to the Governorates’ Health Offices and partners in delivering the needed nutritional services. I have facilitated the establishment of nutrition technical working groups(CBWG, IMAM,MIYCN, SAG and; Assessment and Information Management-NIWG) to take more advanced technical decisions on behalf of partners, and to design the most effective joint response to given facts on the ground. 

Through good expertise in inter-sectorial team approach I managed to (1) engage and strengthen the Ministry of Health capacity to take a more active and leading role in adopting scaling up and implementing the cluster/ sectorial approach (2) Strengthening the harmonization of WFP,UNICEF partners and Cluster central Nutrition Information Management System (NMIS) (3) Identify, support and capacitate the national NGOs working in the health, FSL and WASH sectors to expand their work and to incorporate nutritional interventions within their basic package. (4) Through inter-cluster coordination with support from OCHA managed to contribute to the fund raisings efforts and leveraging additional resources. I have coordinated and also involved in different country nutrition planning committees and cluster review committees (CRCs)/ Project review committees (PRCs), were I ensured inclusion of key humanitarian partners ( local and international) when reviewing proposals under  nutrition cluster in Zimbabwe, Uganda, Pakistan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen, respected cluster partners respective mandates and programme priorities, and establish capacity mapping database with profile of new/potential actors – government, national and international humanitarian organizations as well as national institutions.

I have experience in establishment and maintenance of appropriate humanitarian coordination mechanisms through ensuring appropriate coordination between all Nutrition humanitarian partners (including national and international NGOs, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, IOM, MSFE,MSFF and other international organizations active in the nutrition sector) as well as national authorities through the establishment/maintenance of appropriate sector coordination mechanisms including working groups at the subnational. I promoted emergency response actions while at the same time considering the need for early recovery planning and ensure integration of IACS’s agreed priority cross-cutting issues, namely human rights, HIV/AIDS, age, gender and environment, and promote utilization of participatory and community-based approaches. In line with this, promote gender equality by mainstream gender issues in all cluster projects. Ensured strong inter-cluster linkages with other concerned clusters (with OCHA support), especially Health, WASH, Food Security and Livelihoods, child protection and Logistics. I ensured that the cluster partners are aware of relevant policy guidelines, technical standards and relevant commitments that the Government has undertaken under international human rights law. Promoted that nutrition responses are in line with existing policy guidance, technical standards, and relevant Government human rights legal obligations. As at country level managed to strengthen, promote and support training of humanitarian personnel and capacity building of humanitarian partners, based on the mapping and understanding of available capacity. Support efforts to strengthen the capacity of the national/local authorities and civil society.