When Suha Khann arrived in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, she was surrounded by a jarring juxtaposition—glistening ocean water, beautiful beaches and devastated communities.
“It was a two-hour drive from Tacloban to Mayorga, where International Medical Corps had a base,” Suha explains. “As we drove, the natural landscape was still beautiful, but it was overshadowed by devastation—destroyed homes, schools, churches and roads. When we finally arrived at the base, I saw one of the colleagues I had worked with in South Sudan. When I hugged them, I had tears in my eyes. It was overwhelming. And then I heard some neighbors, local community members, singing karaoke. It was incredible. After suffering through the typhoon, they could still find joy. Their resilience continues to inspire me.”
Suha grew up in Syria, witnessing the unraveling of institutions, many of which occurred long before the rest of the world recognized it. She is the youngest of five children, with four older brothers. Her mother was and continues to be her role model. Though her mother didn’t initially complete her studies, when her children were older, she enrolled in a nursing training program and eventually worked at a local hospital, focusing not only on medical support but also on emotional health and well-being.
“My mother was always there for her patients and people in need, whatever their situation, wherever they were,” Suha explains. “She has a saying: ‘Do good quietly and let it drift into the sea. Recognition is not the goal. God sees what people do not.’”
With this in mind, after earning degrees in economics and business management from Damascus University, Suha began working for a local non-profit that focused on small and medium enterprises, with a particular emphasis on helping women.
“I remember one woman we supported who lived in a very simple, three-room house with unfinished floors, yet she transformed that space. She kept her cow in one room, used another to produce cheese from the cow’s milk and the third room for her family. She had arranged her life to create opportunities. She created her own livelihood and was considering expanding. That experience shaped how I see humanitarian work—with a little support, people can build incredible things and stand on their own.”
In 2008, Suha joined International Medical Corps as a human resources and finance officer, helping to establish the Syria mission in response to the Iraqi refugee crisis. In only two months, she and the team opened three clinics, a mother-and-child center and a child recreation center—and hired more than 300 local staff members.
“Being part of that early team gave me a hands-on understanding of what it takes to build a response from the start, and I realized that this was the right path for me,” she says.
Over the past 18 years, Khan has led finance and administration teams in the Philippines, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen, and some 20 emergency responses, including crises in Gaza, Haiti, Sudan and the United States. She assumed her current role, as Director of International Medical Corps’ Emergency Response Unit, in 2024.
“After years in the field, I began to see how powerful it can be when someone’s field experience informs leadership decisions. I want to help strengthen that connection, bringing a practical on-the-ground understanding into our headquarters so we can better support our teams and respond globally. Having worked in complex emergencies, I understand what it takes to effectively respond, and I want to help ensure that our teams are supported.”
Over the past decade, Suha has earned a master’s degree in conflict analysis and resolution, and a graduate certificate in genocide and mass atrocity prevention from George Mason University, as well as an M.B.A. from Stratford University. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at George Mason University.
Looking ahead, she says she is most concerned about conflicts, weather-related disasters and fragile healthcare systems—factors that, through their interaction, create complex and deadly emergencies, pushing communities to the edge of their ability to recover. But she also sees hope, built on community trust, training and resilience.
“I believe that we know what works,” she explains. “Preparedness is not reactive; it’s intentional. It means investing early in local capacity, strengthening health systems, building readiness before a crisis hits and ensuring that communities are part of the solution. So if we focus on preparedness, partnership and sustainability, we can respond faster, more effectively and more responsibly.”