New Resident Representative for UNDP Afghanistan, Turhan Saleh, Takes Up Post in Kabul

July 16, 2026

16 July 2026, Kabul - Mr. Turhan Saleh has assumed his responsibilities as the new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for Afghanistan, effective 15 July 2026.

Prior to taking up his assignment in Afghanistan, Mr. Saleh served as Senior Advisor in UNDP's Regional Bureau for Arab States, focusing on transitions from United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions.

From December 2023 to March 2026, he served as Deputy Director of the UNDP Crisis Bureau, where his work focused on humanitarian-to-development transitions, crisis operations, crisis financing and thought leadership. Before joining the Crisis Bureau, Mr. Saleh served as UNDP Resident Representative in Ethiopia from May 2019 to November 2023.

Mr. Saleh joined UNDP in 1997 as a Policy Adviser in the Operations Support Group in the Office of the Administrator. Since then, he has held several senior positions across the organization, including Director of the Millennium Development Goals Unit in the Bureau for Resources and Strategic Partnerships; Deputy Director in the Division for UN Affairs; Country Director and Resident Representative ad interim in Nigeria; Chief of the Country Support Team in the Regional Bureau for Africa; and Strategic Plan Coordinator in the Executive Office.

Throughout his career with UNDP, Saleh has worked directly with four UNDP Administrators and contributed to almost all UNDP Strategic Plans since their inception.

Mr. Saleh began his United Nations career with UNICEF after completing his graduate degree in 1989. He worked in Ghana and Eritrea and contributed to UNICEF's first country programme in post-apartheid South Africa. He has also undertaken internships with UNICEF, the World Bank and the United Nations World Food Council.

Mr. Saleh holds a bachelor's degree in political economy, with honours, from Cornell University and a master's degree in public affairs from Princeton University. He also studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Christ Church, University of Oxford.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Matthew Duncan
Communications Specialist, UNDP Afghanistan
Email: [email protected]

Munisa RashidCommunication Analyst, UNDP AfghanistanEmail: [email protected]