Elina Silén is the Regional Programme Manager at UNDP’s Regional Hub in Amman. She brings over 15 years of experience spanning development, crisis prevention, early recovery, stabilization, livelihoods, and governance across multiple crisis and post-crisis contexts.
Before joining the Regional Hub, Elina served with UNDP Lebanon as Team Leader for the Strategic Planning & Policy Unit and earlier as Chief Technical Advisor for Crisis Response. Her UN track record also includes roles as a Coordination Specialist with the UN in Nigeria and a Programme Officer for Crisis Prevention and Recovery with UNDP Sudan. Prior to the UN, she worked with international NGOs in Afghanistan, Syria, and South Africa.
Elina holds a Master’s in Arabic and Middle Eastern & North African Studies from Stockholm University, an International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance from Fordham University, and an International Diploma in Arabic Studies from Birzeit University. She is committed to building resilient institutions and livelihoods that help communities move from crisis to recovery.