Former Iraqi president chosen to lead UN refugee agency

Shafaq News — Geneva / Baghdad

Former Iraqi president Barham Salih has been selected to lead the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), according to a letter from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Salih served as Iraq’s president from 2018 to 2022. A British-educated Kurdish politician, he previously held several senior posts within the federal government.

Reuters reported that the letter, dated Friday, names Salih for a five-year term beginning on January 1, 2026, subject to approval by UNHCR’s executive committee.

Development news outlet Devex reported that his selection marks a departure from past practice, with the post traditionally held by officials from major Western donor countries. He was chosen from a broad field of candidates that included diplomats, development officials, and business executives, it added.

If confirmed, Salih would take charge of UNHCR at a time of record global displacement. UN estimates showed that in mid-2024, over 122.6 million people were forcibly displaced, including roughly 43.7 million refugees (32 million under UNHCR’s mandate) and 72.1 million internally displaced people.

The agency is also allegedly facing growing financial pressure, as several major donor countries, including the United States, have reduced funding or redirected spending toward defense priorities.