He has been in the role since July 2021, during which he faced mounting humanitarian crises in Ukraine, Gaza, and Africa.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres praised Griffiths for his leadership and service to the UN and humanitarian community.

Griffiths contracted COVID-19 in October and is still experiencing long-term symptoms.

He took on the role as crises were escalating and funds for humanitarian aid were shrinking.

Mark Lowcock, a veteran British diplomat and experienced UN envoy, is stepping down as the UN's Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator in June.

He previously served as the UN special envoy for Yemen and the director of the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva.

From 1999 to 2010, he founded and led the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva, focusing on political dialogue between governments and insurgents in various countries.

Lowcock began his UN career in 1994 in Geneva.

John Griffiths served as the European Institute of Peace's first executive director from 2014 to 2018 and held special adviser roles for three UN special envoys for Syria from 2012 to 2014 during the Syrian conflict's early stages.

Prior to that, he worked as a British diplomat and for international humanitarian organizations like UNICEF, Save the Children, and Action Aid.