UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has endorsed US President Donald Trump’s nominee, Luke Lindberg, to lead the World Food Programme, with confirmation by the agency’s board expected on Friday, Reuters reported.
Lindberg, a senior US agricultural official, was recommended jointly by Guterres and Food and Agriculture Organization chief Qu Dongyu, according to a September 11 letter addressed to the WFP board’s head.
The selection process drew 54 applicants, with nine candidates shortlisted. The letter did not identify the other contenders.
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told Reuters that the organisation had accepted a hiring panel’s recommendation and forwarded it to the WFP, where it was awaiting the board’s response.
A UN official said the board was expected to confirm the nomination on Friday. Devex first reported the selection.
Neither the White House nor the US State Department immediately commented.
Lindberg would take charge as the agency confronts mounting humanitarian needs. Nearly 300 million people face crisis levels of hunger this year, according to the WFP, with the Iran war worsening the situation.
Established jointly by the United Nations and the FAO, the Rome-based agency provides emergency food assistance in response to hunger crises worldwide.
The United States remains its largest donor despite funding cuts under Trump. The organisation has traditionally been headed by an American affiliated with the Republican Party.
Some US contributions come in the form of food supplies or require purchases of American produce, supporting US agricultural businesses alongside the agency’s relief operations.
