Benon Sevan: key obituary facts
Is Benon Sevan dead? Yes. Benon Sevan died on October 5, 2026, at age 88.
Cause of death: Benon Sevan's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Benon Sevan known for?
He was a Cypriot politician and diplomat.
More about Benon Sevan
Born: 18 December 1937.
Place of birth: Nicosia.
Gender: male.
Occupation: diplomat, politician.
Education: Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University.
Employer: United Nations.
Also known as: Benon Vahe Sevan.
Known for: Oil-for-Food corruption.
Benon Sevan, a Cypriot international diplomat and assistant secretary-general in the United Nations Department of Political Affairs from 1992 to 2005, died October 5, 2026, aged 88.
Born in Nicosia on December 18, 1937, into an Armenian-Cypriot family, he studied at the Melkonian Educational Institute before earning a history and philosophy degree from Columbia College in New York and a further degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Sevan joined the United Nations in 1965.
His assignments included work on a U.N.-administered plebiscite in West Irian and on prisoners of war during the Iran-Iraq conflict. From 1982 to March 1988, he served as secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. He later became head of the U.N. Oil-for-Food Programme, established in 1996. The programme was intended to prevent Iraq’s government from diverting oil-export proceeds from food, medicine and other goods for the civilian population. Sevan’s diplomatic career included senior roles in the United Nations over several decades, spanning political affairs, economic and social work, and the administration of the programme for Iraq.