Uruguayan Mario Lubetkin was appointed the new FAO representative for Latin America and the Caribbean  | Photo: Twitter/@TelenocheUy

Rome, August 3 (RHC)-- A new Regional Representative for Latin America for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been designated.  The announcement was made on Tuesday by Qu Dongyu, FAO Director General.

Mario Lubetkin once appointed FAO's new regional representative, commented on the "extraordinary challenges" that represent for the region the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the armed conflict in Ukraine, alongside other confrontations in many areas of the world.

He highlighted that these events have contributed to the worsening of hunger, which since 2019 has increased to 13 million people in the region. Lubetkin said that the FAO would support the region's governments in promoting innovation in the transformation of agri-food systems.

According to the new regional representative for FAO, these missions must be conducted alongside other United Nations agencies, international and regional institutions, non-governmental organizations, and Study Centers.

The Uruguayan Lubetkin has served as Deputy Director General of the FAO since 2017 and beinghas beenpart of the organization since 2014.