UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced Wednesday the appointment of Dereje Wordofa of Ethiopia as Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

He will succeed Natalia Kanem of Panama who was recently appointed as Executive Director of UNFPA.

In his current role as the International Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa Region for SOS Children's Villages International, he is responsible for the region's program interventions and operations overseeing 4,500 employees.

He leads the management of social development, humanitarian, and advocacy programs with a focus on children and youth, and was recently promoted with an expanded role to lead and oversee the strategic directions and program development in the West and Central Africa region, and Middle East and North Africa region, effectively covering the whole African continent.

UNFPA is the UN reproductive health and rights agency. Its mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.