Lebanon

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UNDP Lebanon Resident Representative

With over 25 years of experience, Blerta Aliko has worked on development and humanitarian issues, including gender equality and women’s empowerment. Prior to her appointment in Lebanon in 2024, Blerta served as UNDP Resident Representative in Algeria (2019-2024). She started her UN career in 1996 with UNDP Albania and later joined UNICEF and subsequently UN Women, focusing on child and women’s rights. Over the years, Blerta has supported humanitarian programming and post-crisis recovery planning and coordination in Liberia, Kenya, Chad, Myanmar, Haiti, and Yemen. In April 2016, she was posted in Egypt as the UN Women Deputy Regional Director for Arab States and the UN Women Representative for Egypt. Blerta holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from IFM University in Geneva, Switzerland, and graduated from the Faculty of Economy at the University of Tirana in Albania. Blerta is married and has two children. She is a dual national of Albania and France.
Deputy Resident Representative

Thair Shraideh of Jordan has over 30 years of extensive and diversified experience working with UN agencies, international NGOs, and donor organizations. His expertise encompasses development, crisis response and prevention, early recovery, strategic planning, operations, private sector development, public financial management, employment and labor markets, as well as the energy and environment sector.
Before his appointment as Deputy Resident Representative to UNDP Lebanon, Mr. Shraideh served as the Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Sudan for 3 years. Prior to this, he worked with the International Labor Organization (ILO) for two years as the Coordinator and Chief Technical Advisor to the ILO’s Programme of Support to the Syrian crisis in Jordan. He also served as UNDP Resident Advisor for Coordination and Early Recovery in Gaziantep, Turkey, supporting efforts related to the Syrian crisis.
Mr. Shraideh also served with UNDP Iraq for nine years in several positions and locations ending as the Deputy Country Director a.i. Throughout his career, he has contributed to national and regional programmes covering 10 Arab countries, including those in crisis.
Mr. Thair holds a BA in Economics and Accounting, and an MBA in Management from the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT).