WFP Pakistan gets new country director

Islamabad: The new Country Representative of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Pakistan, Finbarr Curran, has officially presented his credentials to the Government of Pakistan at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The credentials were received by Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, secretary Foreign Affairs.

“I am very pleased to being joining the Pakistan team at a time when WFP is transitioning its work towards recovery and development programmes and enhanced policy and technical expertise to federal and provincial governments, in support of the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Curran. “As a partner of almost half a century, WFP Pakistan remains committed to supporting the government as it shifts its focus to improving nutrition and disaster risk management throughout the country.”

Curran, a Fellow of the Irish Institute of Chartered Accountants, has 30 years’ experience with the humanitarian world, the last 20 with WFP. Before assuming his post in Pakistan, he was the director of budget and programming based at WFP’s headquarters in Rome. Under his direction, the budget office transformed organizational accountability and efficiency by focusing on operational and financial planning based on anticipated resourcing levels of $5 billion, rather than simply on needs, as well as rationalizing and expanding WFP’s advance financing tools (now $1 billion).

During his time at WFP, Curran has also been the Director of Procurement, Country Director Dubai and WFP’s first Chief Information Officer (CIO).Prior to joining WFP, Curran worked in the private sector in Ireland and the UK, and spent 3 years in Zimbabwe as an advisor to the largest semi-state organization.  He also worked in Ethiopia, Kenya and Dubai.

“Finbarr brings many years of diverse management and operational experience with him,” noted David Kaatrud, Regional Director, Asia & the Pacific Bureau, “which will benefit WFP Pakistan greatly in supporting national efforts to improve food security and nutrition, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”

In Pakistan, WFP implements a variety of programmes to support the Government’s priorities in addressing malnutrition and stunting, relief, education for children, livelihoods and disaster risk management. In 2016, WFP Pakistan has assisted more than 2.5 million people through its programmes.“I look forward to working with all levels of the government and civil societies, as well as with our sister agencies, to achieve Zero Hunger in Pakistan.” said Curran.