Ex-UNRWA Chief Accused of Corruption, Now Appointed to Red Cross Role

On Friday, December 22nd, it became known that Pierre Krahenbuhl, aged 57, who was removed from his position four years ago following a corruption scandal as head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), has been appointed as the new Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The decision was approved by the President of the ICRC, Mirjana Spoljaric Egger.

The ICRC statement says that Krahenbuhl is "known as a strategic and determined leader with deep organizational experience and dedication to the ICRC."

Krahenbuhl is expected to assume the position in April 2024. Presently, Robert Mardini holds the role of Director-General at the ICRC. The tenure of the ICRC Director-General lasts four years.

Executive Director of UN Watch, Hillel Neuer, deemed this appointment inappropriate and called on the ICRC to cancel it.

In 2019, Pierre Krahenbuhl was forced to step down from his role as the Director-General of UNRWA amidst ongoing investigations into corruption suspicions and other abuses within the organization's leadership. He faced personal allegations involving a romantic involvement with a subordinate, Maria Mohammadi, for whom a senior advisor position was specifically created in 2015 under his leadership. Krahenbuhl took Mohammadi on business trips, purchasing business-class tickets for her. His resignation was endorsed at the time by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres.

Pierre Krahenbuhl is a citizen of Switzerland. He is married to Taiba Rahim, who is the president of the "Nai Qala" association, involved in educational and healthcare projects in Afghanistan. They have three children together.