People
Ms . Eziakonwa ’ s new role will be at the Assistant Secretary-General level .
“ I am thrilled and honored for this opportunity to serve Africa at an important juncture in its development journey ,” said Eziakonwa . “ I look forward to working with colleagues across the organization , and with the immensely talented and dedicated teams in New York and across the region , to support the countries we serve towards implementing their vision for a peaceful , prosperous , and sustainable future .”
Ms . Eziakonwa succeeds Abdoulaye Mar Dieye who now leads UNDP ’ s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support . The Administrator is grateful to Abdoulaye Mar Dieye for his leadership , and to Tegegnework Gettu for his leadership during this transition .
Ms . Eziakonwa has over 20 years of service with the United Nations , most recently as UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Ethiopia since 2015 . Before that , she served as Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Uganda and Lesotho , and held several posts with the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( OCHA ) as Chief of the Africa Section in New York and in duty stations in Liberia and Sierra Leone .
She holds a Master ’ s degree in international affairs from Columbia University ’ s School of International and Public Affairs , with a focus on Economic and Political Development , as well as a Bachelor ’ s of Education degree , English and Literary Studies from the University of Benin , Nigeria .
Born in Nigeria , Ms . Eziakonwa is married and has a daughter .
As millions experience increased food insecurity in the Sahel , UN food agency chiefs pledge to redouble efforts to reduce poverty and hunger
JOINT FAO-IFAD-WFP PRESS RELEASE
17 August 2018 , Niamey / Rome - The heads of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ( FAO ), the International Fund for
The three UN food agency heads visiting the village of Dargue ’ in the Maradi region of Niger .
Agricultural Development ( IFAD ) and the World Food Programme
( WFP ) pledged to increase support for regional efforts addressing the critical food and nutrition security situation in the Sahel . Close to 6 million people are estimated to be severely food insecure in the current lean season .
FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva , IFAD President Gilbert F . Houngbo , and WFP Executive Director David Beasley , made the commitment as they wrapped up a four-day visit to Niger that included meetings with President Mahamadou Issoufou and Prime Minister Brigi Rafini .
The three UN agency chiefs visited several projects where collaboration among FAO , IFAD , WFP , the Government of Niger and other partners , is providing people with new opportunities to feed their families and to build livelihoods that are more resilient to extreme weather events and other shocks .
“ Working closely together FAO , IFAD and WFP are making a difference in the lives and livelihoods of some of Niger ’ s most vulnerable people . We will strive to build on one another ’ s strengths and continue working with governments , donors and other partners to scale up our efforts throughout the Sahel region to achieve Zero Hunger ,” Graziano da Silva said .
“ Climate-related events and its impact on people ’ s food security has a ripple effect on overall stability in the region ,” said Houngbo . “ IFAD is committed to working together with FAO , WFP and the Government of Niger to close the gap between humanitarian and long-term development assistance so that farmers can be more resilient to shocks and can sustainably access nutritious foods and improve their incomes .”
“ We can only hope to break the cycle of conflict and hunger if we work together , treating every humanitarian challenge as an opportunity to help develop economies and increase stability . In Niger and throughout the Sahel , that ’ s what our three agencies are doing -- along with national partners like the Government of Niger -- and we can already see how it is paying off ,” Beasley said .
In Niger , as in many parts of the Sahel , climate shocks have resulted in recurring droughts with devastating impacts on the region ’ s already vulnerable populations , particularly those relying on crop and livestock production for their livelihoods and survival .
As the Sahel ’ s lean season that runs from June to August nears its close , latest estimates show that nearly 6 million people will have been severely food insecure in this period . Of these , almost half - or 2.7 million people - are pastoralists or agropastoralists . Up to 1.6 million children are expected to experience severe acute malnutrition .
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