Hazel De Wet became Deputy Director of UNICEF’s Office of Emergency Programmes in Geneva in January 2023.

Hazel has 23 years of extensive and diverse experience in political affairs, human rights, protection of civilians, women’s rights, international relations, and diplomacy in the United Nations, she is a former diplomat and a committed United Nations staff member. Hazel’s experience spans across a wide spectrum of action, from the grassroots level in the field directly with local actors, to policy making, high-level political engagement and intergovernmental processes at UN headquarters.

For last 14 years Hazel was at the frontlines of conflict, post conflict and emergency contexts in the United Nations Peacekeeping Missions in Sudan and South Sudan. In her previous role Hazel has been serving as the Head of Office of the States of Jonglei and the Upper Nile in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan where she has dealt with crisis situations and successfully navigated volatile and sensitive political scenarios. Her most recent role has been the Director of civil Affairs in South Sudan.

Hazel is a Namibian national and holds Law degree in Human Rights from University of London and bachelor’s degree in political science from University of Western Cape.