Turhan Saleh has assumed his duties as the new Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Afghanistan.
In a statement issued on Thursday (16 July), the United Nations Development Programme announced that Saleh officially began his role as UNDP’s Resident Representative in Kabul on 15 July.
According to the statement, Turhan Saleh previously served as a Senior Adviser at the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States, where he focused on transition processes following the conclusion of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions.
From December 2023 to March 2026, he also served as Deputy Director of UNDP’s Crisis Bureau, working on areas including crisis management, humanitarian assistance, financing, and development policies.
Prior to this, Saleh served as UNDP’s Resident Representative in Ethiopia from 2019 to 2023. He joined UNDP in 1997 and has held several senior positions across various United Nations entities.
He began his professional career with UNICEF, where he worked in Ghana and Eritrea and contributed to the development of South Africa’s first country programme.
Turhan Saleh holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Economy from Cornell University in the United States, a master’s degree in Public Affairs from Princeton University, and also studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Christ Church College, University of Oxford.
The United Nations has not officially disclosed the specific objectives behind his appointment; however, UNDP continues to operate in Afghanistan with a focus on addressing humanitarian needs, strengthening livelihoods, and supporting long-term development programmes.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
