A former high-ranking official at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has challenged his dismissal, claiming his termination followed efforts to address hunger in Gaza through reports and public vigils. The official alleges leadership rejected his contract renewal after his team published research on the crisis and participated in weekly observances for victims. The FAO’s director general has accused him of engaging in "political games," sparking a dispute over accountability and advocacy within the agency. The appeal raises questions about the balance between humanitarian work and institutional neutrality in global organizations.
Benjamin Davis appealing against dismissal from FAO, after being accused by director general of playing ‘political games’A former senior UN food agency official has alleged he was fired last week for his work highlighting hunger in Gaza, and has launched an appeal against his dismissal.Benjamin Davis said the leadership of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had refused to renew his contract as director of its rural transformation and gender equality division because his team had published a brief on hunger in Gaza and held a seminar on the subject last year, and because he taken part in weekly “moment of silence” vigils on FAO grounds for those killed. Continue reading...
