Dr. Omar Ahmed Abenza is the Director of Global and Field Programs at CIVIC. Previously, he served as Head of Africa and Deputy Head of MENA and Latin America Programs at Geneva Call from 2020 to 2024.

With nearly two decades of experience in conflict-affected contexts, Omar has led humanitarian, protection, and peacebuilding programs with international NGOs across multiple regions. 

He spent more than a decade with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), where he later served on the Board of Directors. He has also worked with the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as with other international NGOs and UN agencies, including IOM and UNDP. 

Omar holds a PhD from the University of Valencia, where his research focused on humanitarian diplomacy in Islamic contexts. He also holds a BA in Economics from the University of Valencia and the University of Nantes and an MA in Global Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. His academic interests and publications span international humanitarian law, protection of civilians, humanitarian diplomacy, and armed group dynamics.