Aida Ailarova is the Regional Youth and Adolescent Development Specialist at the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO), based in Geneva, Switzerland. She is also the ECARO focal point for the uSupport Digital Mental Health Solution for Adolescents and Youth. Aida has over 23 years of experience with UNICEF, leading programs on Youth and Adolescent Development, Psychosocial Recovery, Mine Action, Disability, Sport for Development, and HIV. In her previous roles, Aida led upstream work on youth development and participation in the North Caucasus and Azerbaijan, focusing on policy and system reforms.
Her extensive experience includes managing a multifaceted Psychosocial Recovery program in Chechnya, overseeing the Psychosocial Response to the Beslan School Siege Crisis, and acting as the focal point for ‘Children and Women of South Ossetia.’ She also played a key role in Early Action Preparedness for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and youth mobilization for the ECARO Response to the Ukraine crisis.
Before joining UNICEF, Aida served as Head of Studies and Dean of Faculty at a private university in Russia. She holds a master’s degree in English Language and Literature, with a concentration in Contemporary History, Political Science, and Philosophy from North Ossetian State University, Russia. Aida is fluent in English, Russian, and Ossetian.
