Dr. Henia Dakkak
Dr. Dakkak is a senior humanitarian leader with a technical professional background in a wide range of healthcare interventions, including Emergency Obstetrics care, HIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health programs including addressing Gender-based Violence, mental health, psychosocial support, maternal and child healthcare. Holding a leadership position as the Head of the Policy unit within the Humanitarian Office at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and later as Acting Chief of the Humanitarian Office, Dr. Dakkak was responsible for providing policy and technical guidance to UNFPA country offices navigating reproductive health challenges during crisis and post-crisis situations across peacebuilding and development contexts by supporting the nexus approach.
She led and advised on the organizational humanitarian strategy, advocacy strategies, resource mobilization efforts, built strategic partnerships, and managed a diverse team of staff members.
Dr. Dakkak has a deep understanding of the humanitarian system and architecture and has deployed to respond to numerous emergencies, including scale-up situations in a Senior Emergency Coordinator role. She has demonstrated skills and experience in the facilitation of a wide range of humanitarian topics and was instrumental in the establishment of the UNFPA Surge Capacity Assessment Workshops, where she was a facilitator and assessor. She curated content, facilitated workshops, and participated in scenario-based simulations, which later became industry's best practices. Additionally, Dr. Dakkak has coached and mentored both existing and emerging humanitarian professionals.
Furthermore, Dr. Dakkak's expertise extends to medical activities in conflict-affected regions. She has engaged in developing and managing medical initiatives in the Balkans, specifically in pre-conflict and post-conflict Kosovo. To further contribute to the body of knowledge in emergency healthcare, Dr. Dakkak has dedicated her efforts to researching and authoring several papers on Reproductive Health programs in emergency situations. Her research aims to provide valuable insights and recommendations for healthcare providers and policy makers operating in crisis and post crisis settings.
Throughout her career, Dr. Dakkak has fostered collaborations with numerous UN agencies, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee on Humanitarian Assistance (IASC), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), IFRC, donor agencies, and military organizations. These partnerships have been instrumental in implementing successful healthcare programs and ensuring the delivery of life-saving services to vulnerable populations in crisis-affected regions.