Olga Abilova

Thematic expertise: Humanitarian protection

Geographic expertise: Middle East and North Africa

Languages: English

Olga Abilova is an adviser at NOREF, where she oversees NOREF’s Iran portfolio, as well as following other NOREF Track II initiatives in the Middle East and North Africa region. Before joining NOREF she led a humanitarian protection team working in the displacement camps around Mosul and supported the facilitation of local peace settlements in Iraq. She has 10 years of experience working with the UN in different capacities and humanitarian operations in the field. Specifically, she has covered the UN Security Council while based at UN HQ in New York and field missions in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mali, as well as publishing on UN conflict response and policy reforms for the International Peace Institute. She is a Fulbright Alumni and holds an MIA in Economic and Political Development from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.