30 July, 2023, Juba, SOUTH SUDAN – Vice President and Chairperson of the Economic Cluster, Prof. Dr. Wani Igga, held a working dinner on Sunday with the Rome-based heads of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Director General of the FAO, Qu Dongyu, Executive Director of the WFP, Cindy Hensley McCain and IFAD President, Alvaro Lario, arrived in Juba on Sunday, on a mission to assess the humanitarian situation in South Sudan, especially in the wake of the Sudanese conflict that saw an influx of thousands of refugees and returnees into South Sudan.
Vice President Igga commended the three principles for the visit, saying there was an urgent need to step up the humanitarian response to the crisis that has resulted from the sudden return of South Sudanese and arrival of Sudanese refugees into South Sudan.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Albino Akol Atak, hailed the heads of the three agencies for their strong commitment and support to the people of South Sudan.
For her part, WFP head Cindy Hensley McCain, told the gathering that their priority as a UN agency, was to support South Sudan’s national priorities, adding that WFP will continue to build up national capacities to respond to emergencies. It’s worth noting that the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Agriculture and Food Security, Livestock and Fisheries, as well as Forestry and Environment, attended the event.