UNHCR Senior Executive Team in Lebanon

Ms. Karolina Lindholm Billing - UNHCR Representative

Ms. Karolina Lindholm Billing assumed her functions as UNHCR’s Representative in Lebanon on 16 October 2025. She was previously UNHCR’s Representative in Ukraine, since May 2021, before which she served as Deputy Representative of UNHCR Lebanon, between 2017 and April 2021.

From Göteborg, Sweden, Ms. Lindholm Billing joined UNHCR in 1999 as Associate Protection Officer in UNHCR’s Liaison Office for the Baltic States (located in Latvia) and has since worked for UNHCR in various legal and protection policy positions, as well as in management and liaison functions in field operations in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and in the Division of International Protection at UNHCR’s Headquarters. She has also undertaken emergency missions to Kenya and Somalia as Senior Protection Coordinator to respond to refugee crises.

Ms. Lindholm Billing holds a Master’s degree in law from the University of Stockholm, with a specialization in international public law and in human rights. She is married and has three teenage children.

As Representative of UNHCR in Lebanon, she manages a diverse team of some 345 staff based in 3 locations (Beirut Country office and Field Office - Zahle Field Office - Tripoli Field Office).

Ms. Isabelle Misic - UNHCR Deputy Representative

Isabelle Misic has joined UNHCR in Lebanon in May 2022 as Assistant Representative for Protection and was promoted to Deputy Representative in April 2025.

She has worked with UNHCR for more than 20 years with expertise in areas of protection, emergency, and durable solutions. Before being appointed in Lebanon, she was Chief of Emergency preparedness at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. She has worked for UNHCR in Eritrea, Ghana, twice in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Tunisia, twice in Switzerland, South Sudan, Lebanon, and many other places on shorter missions.

She held senior protection positions in DRC, Tunisia and South Sudan. She started humanitarian work with refugees in Moscow, Russian Federation, with INGO Equilibre Solidarite and worked with IRC and ICMC in their refugee programs.

Ms. Misic is a Law graduate from the University of Novi Sad, Serbia, with special focus on minority rights and holds a Master of Law specialized in comparative constitutional Law from the Central European University, Open Society Foundation scholar. She is fluent in French, Serbian, Russian, and English.

Dr. Samaneh Hassanli – Senior Protection Officer and Officer-in-Charge, UNHCR Field Office Zahle

Samaneh joined UNHCR Lebanon, Zahle Office, in May 2024 as Senior Protection Officer and currently serves as the Officer-in-Charge of the Field Office.

She brings over 16 years of international experience across the humanitarian, academic, and governmental sectors, including 12 years with UNHCR in the areas of protection, legal/policy, and emergency response. Before her current assignment in Lebanon, she served with UNHCR’s Division of International Protection at Headquarters and has worked in Iraq, Syria, South Sudan, and Iran operations, as well as with UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes.

Samaneh holds a PhD in International Law from the University of Adelaide, Australia, with a specialization in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law. She was a visiting researcher at Harvard University’s Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research Centre and has received multiple fellowships and awards, including the Best Conference Paper at the 34^th Annual Conference of the International Association for Business and Society (2023). She has taught International Law, Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law, and International Refugee Law.

Ms. Galiya Gubaeva - Head of Mount -Lebanon / South Field Office

Galiya Gubaeva is now serving as the UNHCR Head of Mount-Lebanon / South Field Office, in Lebanon since June 2024.

Prior to working as head of office in Lebanon, Galiya served in Bangladesh as a Head of Field Office Bhasan Char, a remote island in the Bay of Bengal.

Galiya has over 25 years’ experience with UNHCR in protection and emergency response roles, starting as national staff in Tajikistan, her international career has spanned Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Galiya graduated from the law faculty of Russian-Tajik Slavonic University in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.