Halima, is the Head of Research and Learning at the International Center for Humanitarian Affairs (ICHA). At ICHA, Halima supports research in emergency humanitarian operation, health (mental health, NCDs, primary health care, UHC, trauma, health systems), DRM and resilience (urban and rural), food security and nutrition, migration and internal displacement, sustainable and climate resilient development to generates information and evidence that supports programming, policy, innovation and learning. Halima supports climate scientists at national, regional and international levels in conducting research on various themes such as using climate forecasts to deliver humanitarian responses (towards Forecast Based Prepared Action and Forecast Based Financing); strengthening evidence-based practice and policy in resilience building, food security and social protection; and, designing and raising risk awareness through using extreme weather event attribution science. She also supports research projects that promote the use of climate and weather forecasts to deliver humanitarian responses.

She previously held roles as Senior Research Scientist and Head of Economic Botany Section at the National Museums of Kenya, Lecturer in Climate Change and Adaptation at the University of Eldoret, Kenya, and Tutorial Fellow, School of Biological Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Halima has a PhD in Ethnobotany from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.