Brief
FAO senior official says contract ended after Gaza criticism
Ben Davis alleges his FAO contract was terminated for organising Gaza‑related protests and a report on food security.
By Felo News Desk · Published
FAO Director of Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Ben Davis told AFP on Wednesday that his contract would not be renewed after he criticised Israeli policies in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.
Davis said he received notice in July that his contract would end because he allegedly breached the agency’s impartiality rules. He linked the accusation to his organisation of weekly silent moments of silence on starvation and famine in Gaza, and to a May report on food availability and humanitarian law that senior staff reportedly ordered to be withdrawn.
FAO Director‑General Qu Dongyu later warned staff that “we don’t allow you to play the game here of human rights”, adding that the UN’s human‑rights agency in Geneva should handle such issues. Davis interpreted the comments as a direct reference to his case, saying, “He has already scolded me in public in the past for being too political.”
The agency did not respond to a request for comment.
Key facts
- Ben Davis says his FAO contract was not renewed after alleged impartiality breach (aljazeera.com)
- Davis was accused of organising weekly silent protests on Gaza famine (aljazeera.com)
- FAO Director‑General Qu Dongyu warned staff against political activism, linking to human‑rights agency in Geneva (aljazeera.com)
Sources
- [1] aljazeera.com — originally reported as “FAO official says he lost his job for criticising Israeli policies in Gaza”
