Josette Sheeran

Josette Sheeran is the eleventh Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). She was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Jacques Diouf in November 2006, and began her tenure April 2007. Prior to this post, she served as the United States Under Secretary for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs in the State Department since August 2005.

World Food Programme (WFP)

As Executive Director of WFP, Sheeran is responsible for managing the world’s largest humanitarian organization with nearly 11,000 staff worldwide. WFP provides emergency food aid to the world’s hungry as well as addresses the causes of chronic hunger. The UN estimates that there are more than 850,000,000 hungry and malnourished people, disproportionately represented by women and children who are often victims of war and natural disasters; those who do not have access to safe drinking water or sanitation; orphans and families affected by HIV/AIDS; and schoolchildren in poor communities.

"I think we can, in our lifetime, win the battle against hunger because we now have the science, technology, know-how and the logistics to be able to meet hunger where it comes," Ms Sheeran said.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton, who was told of the decision and jumped the gun on the official...
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