US Ambassador Cindy Mccain’s visit to Lanka highlights work on food security by FAO, IFAD and WFP

The United States Permanent Representative to the UN Agencies in Rome, Ambassador Cindy McCain concluded a two-day official visit to the North Western and Central Provinces of Sri Lanka today. Accompanied by the United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung, Ambassador McCain visited several projects of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

 “I am very pleased to have been able to see in person the positive impact the UN food and agricultural agencies are having here in Sri Lanka,” Ambassador McCain remarked at the conclusion of her visit.  “The projects we saw over the past few days showcase how the U.S. government, the UN food and agriculture agencies and the government of Sri Lanka can collaborate to reduce hunger and food insecurity, and improve nutrition and livelihoods for vulnerable communities.  We must continue to reinforce this collaboration to ensure the people of Sri Lanka can recover and thrive.”

 “The United States is committed to supporting the Sri Lankan people to emerge from this crisis, and our robust support to WFP and FAO are an essential part of that response,” said U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung.  “Our total assistance to Sri Lanka during the crisis now totals nearly $239 million, funding that supports food security and addresses the needs of vulnerable communities through FAO and WFP while also pursuing longer term solutions to Sri Lanka’s complex challenges.  Ambassador McCain’s visit is an opportunity for us to take a closer look at the impact of our funding and the evolving needs of the Sri Lankan people.”