World Bank appoints new country director for Afghanistan

Henry Kerali is succeeding Shubham Chaudhuri who completed his term as the Country Director for Afghanistan, the World Bank said in a statement.

Henry Kerali, a Ugandan national, joined the World Bank in 2003 and has held several leadership positions across the Bank. He recently served as the Country Director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone in the Africa Region.

“I am honored to be assigned as the World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan to help the Afghan people in their journey toward a better future,” said Henry Kerali. “The World Bank Group has been a major development partner of Afghanistan in the last 18 years and we are committed to continuing our support and deepening the engagement. Together with international partners, we stand by the government and the people at this critical time aiming to further boost shared prosperity and reduce poverty in the country.”

Before serving as Country Director in Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Henry worked as the World Bank's Regional Director for the South Caucasus, based in Georgia. His experience spans across different regions of the world including Latin America, Africa, East Asia, South Asia, and Europe and Central Asia.

Before joining the World Bank, Henry was a Professor at the University of Birmingham, England, specializing in the development of transport infrastructure. He holds a BSc (Eng.) degree from Makerere University, and MSc and PhD from the University of Birmingham, UK.