Kevin Kennedy is a seasoned humanitarian veteran who led UN’s operations in some of world’s most complex crises, including in the Balkans, East Timor, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan and many more. He also held positions with UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) both in headquarters and in various country operations. He was also the first deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in Somalia in the early 1990s.

In this episode, Kevin Kennedy takes us back to the inner challenges of the UN to set up a coordination system in the early years of UN’s former Department of Humanitarian Affair (now OCHA). Kennedy also reflects on his time in Iraq and his role following the 2003 Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad, which killed 22 aid workers.

In his stories, Kennedy also mentions Jan Egeland, who was UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator from 2003 to 2005 and who features himself in the Episode #3.

Disclaimer: The opinions and memories expressed in the “I Was There” podcast series are those of each individual speaker and do not imply the expression of any opinion or responsibility on the part of UN OCHA.