WFP Announces Appointment Of New Country Director In Sudan

For more than 15 years, Hollingworth has worked for WFP in several countries, including Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sudan and Syria. Most recently in Syria, Hollingworth led WFP operations and negotiated the delivery of much-needed food assistance to conflict-affected people, particularly in besieged areas.  

“I am very excited to return to Sudan at a time when WFP is broadening its focus and introducing innovative ways to promote food security and self-reliance among the people who have been receiving our assistance for many years,” said Hollingworth.  “I consider it an honour and a privilege to be leading the team involved with serving the most vulnerable people in Sudan.”  

Hollingworth has also held one of the top offices in the region serving as Deputy Regional Director for the WFP Regional Office for the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.  He was in Sudan on short missions in 2005 and 2009, and provided logistical support for WFP emergency response in Darfur.

In July 2015, WFP launched a two-year plan in Sudan which aims to reach 5.2 million people with life-saving food assistance, nutrition support as well as recovery and resilience-building activities to support communities to become self-reliant.  

New displacements created by fighting in Darfur’s Jebel Marra area, the continued influx of South Sudanese refugees and the ongoing impact of El Niño have created greater needs among the most vulnerable in Sudan. In response, WFP has increased its budget in Sudan from  US$693 million to US$721 million to cover the needs of an additional 900,000 people until June 2017.  

In 2016 alone, WFP plans to assist 4.6 million vulnerable people in Sudan through a mix of activities which include general food distribution, school feeding, nutrition programmes and food assistance for assets and training.

WFP operations in Sudan remain among the organization’s largest and most complex, providing food assistance to vulnerable people in Darfur and other food insecure groups in the east and border areas to the south. 

Hollingworth presented his credentials to the Government of Sudan at a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ibrahim Ghandour. He succeeds former Representative and Country Director Adnan Khan. 

Hollingworth holds a Master of Science degree from Cranfield University in Supply Chain Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Politics from Southampton University in the United Kingdom. He is married with three children.  

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WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

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For more information please contact:

Amor Almagro, WFP/Khartoum, Tel. +249 183248001 (ext. 2114), Mob. +249 912174853, email: amor.almagro@wfp.org

Abdulaziz Abdulmomin, WFP/Khartoum, Tel. +249 183248001 (ext. 2123), Mob. +249 912167055, email: abdulaziz.abdulmomin@wfp.org