United Nations – An American diplomat has been selected as the next head of the U.N. World Food Program, which provides assistance to millions of hungry people around the world, the United Nations said Tuesday.
Josette Sheeran, the U.S. undersecretary of state for economics, business and agricultural affairs, defeated a Swiss and a Canadian for the job, as well as another American who was not supported by the Bush administration.
She will replace American James Morris for a five-year term as head of the world’s largest humanitarian agency.
Founded in 1962, WFP provides food aid to an average of 90 million poor people, including 58 million hungry children, in at least 80 of the world’s poorest countries.
The United States provides more than 40 percent of the agency’s budget.
Sheeran, a former managing editor at The Washington Times, also served in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative and was one of 13 members of an independent panel that just finished a report on streamlining U.N. development, humanitarian and environment operations.
