UN Official Says Gaza Criticism Cost Him Job

A senior United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation official, Ben Davis, has said he lost his job after criticising Israeli policies in Gaza.

Davis, an FAO director, told AFP on Wednesday that his contract would not be renewed after 26 years. He said FAO informed him in July that he had allegedly breached the organisation’s impartiality rules.

Davis said the decision followed his involvement in weekly moments of silence over hunger and famine in Gaza.

“They accused me of organising these moments of silence on the situation of starvation and famine in Gaza,” he said.

Hundreds of FAO staff attended the protests at their peak, Davis said. He added that about 30 to 40 employees now take part each week. Davis also said he faced criticism over a report he helped prepare on food availability in Gaza and humanitarian law. The report was published in May.

“We were told to take it down. We weren’t allowed to make any references to humanitarian law,” he said.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu appeared to warn staff against focusing on human rights issues during public remarks on Tuesday. He spoke at the start of a filmed session on forestry.

“Of course, human rights is very important, but we have the human rights agency in Geneva. If you want to take care, go there,” Qu said.

Qu also referred to senior staff who, he said, were playing a political game.

“That’s why some senior members play the political game here, I fire him… You should follow the FAO constitution. You are against staff regulations… But I’m a very soft person; I didn’t fire that many. I will fire more people if they are against the law,” he added.

FAO did not respond to a request for comment. Davis said he believed Qu was referring to him.

“Absolutely, he has already scolded me in public in the past for being too political,” he said when asked whether he thought the comments were about him.

Davis also said he was concerned by Qu’s comments about firing more staff. Davis said the FAO report he worked on examined food availability in Gaza and humanitarian law. He said staff later removed references to humanitarian law. The dispute comes as the Gaza conflict continues to draw international attention over food shortages and humanitarian conditions.

The FAO has previously warned about food insecurity in Gaza. Its Director-General Qu Dongyu has also stressed the importance of restoring local food production and livelihoods.  Israel’s military campaign in Gaza followed the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.

According to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures, 1,219 people were killed in the attack. More than 74,000 Palestinians have since been killed, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.