A former senior official at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has alleged he was dismissed for his advocacy on the hunger crisis in Gaza. Benjamin Davis, who served 26 years with the FAO, claims his contract was not renewed because his team published a brief on Gaza's hunger and held a related seminar last year, and because he participated in weekly "moments of silence" vigils for those killed.
Davis, 62, was informed his contract would not be renewed due to a lack of confidence in his ability to discharge his obligations as a senior international civil servant, citing code of conduct paragraphs on honesty, impartiality, and limits on expressing personal views on controversial matters. He has lodged a formal appeal against his dismissal, seeking reinstatement and the retraction of accusations against him.
The FAO did not respond to requests for comment. However, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, a Chinese agronomist, appeared to address Davis's situation last Tuesday, stating he would fire more people if they engaged in political activism or violated staff regulations. Qu's remarks, which questioned the role of human rights advocacy within the organization, reportedly stunned staff.
Davis stated that his team's Gaza briefing paper, which described "gross violation of the right to food and the unlawful obstruction of humanitarian assistance," was removed from the FAO website on leadership orders. He also noted that an Israeli diplomat had photographed staff at a vigil in October, leading to a complaint. Davis maintains that these activities were approved by FAO management at the time and he was not informed they violated conduct codes.