Mary-Ellen McGroarty
There aren’t many careers that can put a person at the frontlines of history. But, Mary-Ellen McGroarty’s work with the UN World Food Programme has brought her into direct contact with some of the major humanitarian crises of her lifetime.
McGroarty grew up in Mountcharles, Donegal before studying law and economics at University College Galway. She began her career working with GOAL in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Overseas development work
Since then, with the UN McGroarty has worked in Lake Chad and across southern and eastern Africa, as well as Afghanistan during the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. She is now Representative and Country Director of the WFP in South Sudan, where millions face extreme hunger.
International humanitarian crises
“A common thread that I’ve seen in my work is ordinary civilians, women and children, with their lives up-ended through no fault of their own,” McGroarty says. Her close-up view of these international humanitarian crises has shown her that climate change and conflict are overlapping more and more around the world.
Displaced by climate change and conflict
“So often it’s the countries that are on the frontline of climate change that are also fraught with conflict and violence and injustices. Millions of people are being displaced from their homes because of conflict, and they’re displaced from their homes because of climate change.”
In 2022, McGroarty’s work earned her a Presidential Distinguished Service Award in the Peace, Reconciliation and Development category, something she describes as “a wonderful surprise”.
Ireland's role and voice
She’s keenly aware of the role a country like Ireland can play on the world stage. “Ireland has a huge voice,” she says. “It’s an overused phrase, but the Irish are often seen as an ‘honest broker’. Certainly we’re a neutral broker. It’s an important role, and it brings a lot of solid thinking around issues as well.”
Shared legacy
In Afghanistan, she found that the two countries’ shared legacy of British involvement struck a chord when meeting people. While in southern and eastern Africa, it was the legacy of Irish missionaries in education and health that gave people a context for McGroarty’s own Irishness. “There’s recognition as well that we are seen as one of those ‘oppressed’ nations!” explains McGroarty.
Keeping injustice front and centre
Regardless of the country’s past, McGroarty believes we should be keenly aware of inequalities in fortunes all around the world. “I think it’s very important that we [in Ireland] keep global injustice front and centre in our minds,” she says. “It’s the lottery of birth. Many of the countries where we see incredible suffering are countries where the resources are going out to other countries, not staying inside them to benefit the population."
"Those of us born and raised in Ireland in recent years are very, very fortunate in terms of the opportunities available to us, and there are so many possibilities that many others simply don’t have.”
>> Read about the Government of Ireland’s development cooperation programme's work in climate change and justice.