Lieke van de Wiel

Ms. Lieke van de Wiel serves as UNICEF’s Country Representative to Rwanda, she has over 20 years of global experience in humanitarian action, child rights, and strategic programme management. She has been appointed as the UNICEF Representative in Rwanda, effective 20^th January 2025.

Prior to this role, Lieke served as the Deputy Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, providing strategic leadership and oversight for 21 UNICEF country offices. She has also held key leadership positions, including Chief of Programme and Planning for the Middle East and North Africa Regional Office and Deputy Representative in Syria and Turkey. Her extensive field experience spans Nepal, Yemen, Mexico, and New York, covering critical areas such as education, child protection, and humanitarian policy.

Before joining UNICEF, Lieke worked with WHO in South Asia on emergency and humanitarian action and with the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) in Belgium. She has also collaborated with NGOs in the Netherlands.

A national of the Netherlands, Lieke holds two Master’s degrees in Public Administration and Sociology from the University of Leiden. She also holds certificates in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Education from the Ibero-American University in Mexico.