Samar El Yassir, Anera Foundation

Samar El Yassir is a development expert with more than 30 years of experience in the Levant and Arabia regions. Since 2011, Samar has been the country director of Anera (American Near East Refugee Aid) in Lebanon, a development agency that provides humanitarian assistance and supports the development of Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine. She is the winner of the Humentum 2020 Operational Excellence Award for her effective and expedient response to the impact of humanitarian crises in Lebanon and the region. She is a dual national citizen, holding both Lebanese and French passports. Born in Beirut, she is a graduate of the American University of Beirut and has a post-graduate diploma from the UCL Institute of Child Health.

Positionality statement

As Anera's Country Director in Lebanon, El Yassir works El Yassir’s extensive expertise in strategic planning and partnership building in the non-profit sphere informs her writing on disabilities, health issues, and the impact of humanitarian crises. Having previously held leadership roles in several UN and international organizations, she brings an on-the-ground perspective as well as an expert perspective.