Cindy McCain will become the next executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP) next month, the UN agency said Thursday.

Currently serving as the United States Ambassador to the UN agencies in Rome – which includes lifesaving food relief agency WFP – the wife of the late US Senator and Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, said she was "deeply honoured" to be appointed, noting that the agency has been part of her life for decades.

Cindy is the former chair of the Board of Trustees of the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University. She has a long track record in non-profit and humanitarian work, having served on the Board of Directors of Project CURE, CARE, Operation Smile, the Halo Trust and the advisory boards of Too Small To Fail and Warriors and Quiet Waters.

"I am ready to roll up my sleeves and spend time both in Rome and in the field, deepening my understanding of WFP's vital work, and making sure it continues to grow to meet the needs of a hungry world," said McCain.

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She will take over from fellow American, David Beasley, who will have served six years when his term ends on April 4.

Announcing the appointment at the regular press briefing in New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the secretary-general was "deeply grateful for his "important contribution and service" to the WFP.

 Cindy, he said, was a "champion for human rights" who has "a long history of giving a voice to the voiceless through her humanitarian and philanthropic work."

The increasing number of conflicts, climate shocks and economic turmoil has led to a sharp rise in the number of acutely food-insecure people struggling to get enough food to feed their families – up almost 200 million since before the coronavirus pandemic, the WFP said in a press release announcing  Cindy's appointment.

The WFP said it provided more than 158 million people with food, cash and vouchers last year, more than in any previous year, and received a record $14 billion in funding.

In 2020, the emergency food agency was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.