Tom Fletcher becomes UN agency chief

The United Nations named British diplomat and academic Tom Fletcher as head of its humanitarian agency on Wednesday, as the organization grapples with unprecedented crises and budget pressures.

He succeeds Martin Griffiths, who has suffered poor health, at the helm of the sprawling organization that has long been headed by a British national.

A spokesman for the UN told a briefing that Fletcher did not yet have a start date to head the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

"Guterres today announced the appointment of Tom Fletcher of the UK as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs," the UN said in a statement.