IEO

Ilaha Eli Omar

Name: Paris Peace Forum 2025
Start: 2025-10-29T09:30:00+01:00
End: 2025-10-30T18:00:00+01:00

Uplift Afghanistan Fund

Co-Founder and Executive Director, Uplift Afghanistan Fund (UAF)

Description

Ilaha Eli Omar is an Afghan-American grassroots mobilizer and development expert with over two decades of experience in crisis response and community-driven development. Born during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, she fled the country at 40 days old, an experience that shaped her lifelong commitment to service. Her work has spanned Afghanistan, Haiti, Kenya, and Gaza, advancing the rights of underserved communities and women’s economic agency, disability inclusion, and equitable access to education and health. In response to Afghanistan’s 2021 humanitarian crisis, she co-founded the Uplift Afghanistan Fund, connecting impact-driven donors with grassroots, community-led organizations. Guided by her belief that lasting change is rooted in local leadership and culturally grounded solutions, she stands with communities as they define their own paths—anchored in dignity and self-determination.