Karim Robert Al-Awar Smither

Karim Smither passed away at the age of 38 on Monday September 26, 2022 at his home in Washington, D.C. He was the beloved son of Robert and Janan Smither, and the adoring older brother of Dina Smither. He was born in Silver Spring, Maryland and grew up in Maitland, Florida. Karim was a brilliant student who graduated Summa Cum Laude from Georgetown University, majoring in Government and Arabic Languages, Literature, and Linguistics. He was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa as a junior, the oldest and most prestigious honor society in the United States. Upon graduating, he was awarded a Marshall Scholarship and attended Oxford University where he obtained Masters degrees in Global Governance and Diplomacy and Modern Middle Eastern Studies. After graduating from Oxford, Karim worked with the Carter Center as an election observer in South Sudan, after which he joined the Africa Bureau in the State Department in D.C. Karim was a dedicated and brilliant public servant, who worked diligently as a member of the Africa Bureau’s team from 2010 to 2017. In 2017, he left The Office of US Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan to pursue academic interests. During his tenure at State, he was consistently recognized for his accomplishments, including his extraordinary work to provide life-saving assistance for thousands of Sudanese refugees fleeing war. He was waiting to begin a new assignment at the Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, which would have greatly benefited from his experience and analytical acumen. Although Karim left this world too soon, he certainly left it a better place.