The United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) on Wednesday issued an urgent alert, cautioning that deep cuts in funding by key donors are undermining relief operations in a number of vulnerable nations and placing millions of people at risk of slipping into crisis levels of hunger.
According to a newly released report, the WFP said it is facing its most formidable funding shortfall in years, with budget cuts jeopardizing work in six countries. The agency estimates that up to 13.7 million individuals who currently receive its aid could be pushed into “emergency” levels of food insecurity if support continues to decline.
The nations experiencing “major disruptions,” the agency noted, include Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. In these hotspots, food distributions are already being scaled back, leaving at-risk communities especially vulnerable.
WFP’s Executive Director, Cindy McCain, warned that the organization is watching a “lifeline for millions of people disintegrate before our eyes.” She said that the current funding constraints have created a stark “reality gap” between what the WFP must do and what it can afford to do.
The agency said it expects a 40 percent decline in funding during the current year, bringing the total to approximately USD 6.4 billion—down from about USD 10 billion received in the previous year. The WFP also cautioned that the broader humanitarian aid system is suffering. Multiple UN organizations have announced significant aid and workforce reductions, citing scaled‐back support from traditional donor countries. Among these, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has reportedly enacted large cuts.
The U.N. agency further highlighted that global hunger is already at staggering levels: roughly 319 million people are experiencing acute food insecurity, including 44 million at emergency levels. The report also pointed out that famine has broken out in parts of Gaza and Sudan.
In one especially dire example, WFP stated that in Afghanistan its food assistance has reached fewer than 10 percent of those classified as food insecure—many of whom are uncertain where their next meal will come from.
One stark indicator of the funding drop is the shift in U.S. support. This year, the WFP has received about USD 1.5 billion from the United States, compared with nearly USD 4.5 billion in the prior period.
The WFP’s warning comes at a moment when the humanitarian aid sphere is under strain. Several UN agencies tasked with migration, health, and refugee support have already announced staffing and program cuts. The combined effect of these reductions, the WFP cautioned, threatens to reverse years of progress in combating hunger globally.
As the funding crisis deepens, the WFP is urging donor countries and global institutions to step back in. Without swift intervention, it cautions, entire populations may face catastrophic food shortages—and the gains made over decades in reducing hunger could unravel rapidly.
