European Union is a permanent observer in WFP and, as a major donor, participates in the work of its executive board. WFP is headed by an executive director, who is appointed jointly by the UN Secretary-General and the director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The executive director is appointed for fixed five-year terms and is responsible for the administration of the organization as well as the implementation of its programmes, projects and other activities. David Beasley, previously Governor of the U.S. state of South Carolina, was appointed to the role in March 2017. He heads the WFP secretariat, which is headquartered in Rome. In September 2021, WFP had over 21,000 staff. List of executive directors Since 1992, all executive directors have been American. The following is a chronological list of those who have served as executive director of the World Food Programme: Addeke Hendrik Boerma () (May 1962 – December 1967) Sushil K. Dev () (January 1968 – August 1968) (acting) Francisco Aquino () (July 1968 – May 1976) Thomas C. M. Robinson () (May 1976 – June 1977 acting; July 1977 – September 1977) Garson N. Vogel () (October 1977 – April 1981) Bernardo de Azevedo Brito () (May 1981 – February 1982) (acting) Juan Felipe Yriart () (February 1982 – April 1982) (acting) James Ingram () (April 1982 – April 1992) Catherine Bertini () (April 1992 – April 2002) James T. Morris () (April 2002 – April 2007) Josette Sheeran () (April 2007 – April 2012) Ertharin Cousin () (April 2012 – April 2017) David Beasley () (April 2017 – present) Activities Emergencies About two-thirds of WFP life-saving food assistance goes to people facing severe food crises, most of them caused by conflict. In September 2022, WFP warned of record numbers of people who were either starving already or facing starvation. The latest Hunger Hotspots report, co-published by WFP and FAO, reported that 970,000 people faced catastrophic levels of hunger in five countries, namely: Afghanistan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. That is a tenfold increase in a decade. Nigeria, with rising violence and restricted humanitarian access, is also highlighted as a country of greatest concern. WFP said it had "scaled up direct food and nutrition assistance to prevent famine and aims to reach a record 153 million people in 2022. WFP is also a first responder to sudden-onset emergencies. When floods