Experts & Staff

Kelly Petillo

Programme Manager, Middle East and North Africa

Areas of expertise

Middle East; human rights; refugees; humanitarian issues

Languages

Italian, English, French

Biography

Kelly Petillo is the programme manager for Middle East and North Africa at the European Council on Foreign Relations, focusing on refugee, humanitarian and human rights issues. Her publications include From aid to inclusion: A better way to help Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan

Petillo’s experience stems from roles at various human rights and humanitarian INGOs and UN agencies in Europe and the Middle East, including Crisis Action, the International Crisis Group and the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA). In the past, Kelly carried out research on the impact of the war in Syria on Palestinian refugees since its outbreak in 2011. She also spent time in Lebanon, where she helped convening youth-led events to promote the rights of refugees and migrant workers in the country.

In the media