As part of our “Americans in the UN” project to share the stories of Americans who work for the United Nations, we talked to Stephen Anderson, the World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director for Yemen, which is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises with more than 17 million people food insecure. Anderson, who was born in Nairobi, spent part of his early childhood in Beaver, just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

What motivates you to work for the UN?

Stephen Anderson: I am motivated mainly by the fact that the UN plays a unique and often indispensable role in many humanitarian emergency situations because it is the only body that monitors overall needs and gaps (food, water, shelter, etc.), and acts as a broker/go-between with the government, donor countries, and other important actors.

From your experience, what is an example of how the UN has made a difference in someone’s life?

Stephen Anderson:  I  particularly remember early in my career in Sudan when I volunteered to join a UN relief train and came across a sudden influx of southern Sudanese displaced people who had been completely cut off by conflict for a considerable amount of time. Seeing starving adults, with skin and bones similar to footage from concentration camps in World War II, came as a major shock to me personally. Thankfully, we were in a position to provide them with food and other assistance. If we had not been there, they would likely have died.

What is your message to Americans about the importance of the UN?

Stephen Anderson: I just wish more Americans could come and witness first-hand the practical work on the ground that WFP and other UN agencies do in places like Yemen, where critical functions are carried out in hazardous conditions and amid incredible obstacles.

What is your favorite part of the job?

Stephen Anderson: My favorite part is the sense of pulling together as a team when faced with a particularly challenging situation, which often includes providing logistics and IT services to other humanitarian agencies that rely on our support.

Read the full article about Americans in the UN by Jenni Lee at United Nations Foundation.