Colin Patrick Hourihan is currently a Senior Advisor on Humanitarian Diplomacy and Strategic Engagement at the World Food Programme (WFP), based in Geneva Switzerland. His responsibilities include analyzing global and regional trends, addressing humanitarian access constraints, conducting sustained dialogue with military actors, and supporting WFP’s operational decision-making through conflict and political analysis.

Previously, he held various roles at WFP, including Head of the Humanitarian-Military Interaction Unit from 2016 to 2024, where he established and led a robust civil-military coordination team. He played a key role in coordinating WFP’s COVID-19 response, including the use of military aircraft for moving supplies and setting up a dedicated hospital in West Africa.

His earlier roles at WFP include Emergency Preparedness Officer, Special Assistant to the Director of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Division, and Deputy Global Logistics Cluster Coordinator. He has been involved in drafting WFP policies on humanitarian principles and protection, and has supported WFP’s emergency responses across numerous countries.

He holds a Master of Arts in Peace & Conflict Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.