Biden appoints new special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden appointed Lise Grande as Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues, according to the State Department on Thursday.

Grande, the CEO and President of the United States Institute of Peace and veteran UN diplomat, will replace David Satterfield in the position created one week after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 against Israel, to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Grande has nearly three decades of overseas experience working for the UN in Africa and the Middle East, including as head of UN humanitarian and development operations in Yemen and deputy head of the UN's political mission in Iraq.

Satterfield will serve at the State Department as a senior advisor.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.