Millions face worsening hunger as the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warns that six of its critical operations are on the brink of collapse due to severe funding shortages. The agency says pipeline breaks could occur by the end of the year, leaving millions without food assistance in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.
Global hunger at record highs
The crisis comes as global hunger reaches unprecedented levels, with 319 million people facing acute food insecurity, including 44 million already in emergency situations. Executive Director Cindy McCain said, “Each ration reduction means a child goes to bed hungry, a mother misses a meal, or a family loses the support they need to survive.”
This year, WFP expects to receive 40 percent less funding — a projected $6.4 billion budget compared with $10 billion in 2024. McCain warned that without urgent support, “we risk losing decades of progress in the fight against hunger.”
Critical operations under threat
In Afghanistan, “dramatic reductions” mean food aid now reaches less than 10 percent of those in need, despite soaring malnutrition rates. The Democratic Republic of the Congo faces record levels of hunger, with 28 million people affected. WFP’s planned reach of 2.3 million people has already been cut to 600,000, and a “complete pipeline rupture” could occur by February.
In Haiti, school meal programmes have been interrupted, and families are receiving only half of the usual monthly rations. Somalia’s food assistance has been slashed repeatedly — from 2.2 million people last year to just 350,000 this November.
All WFP beneficiaries in South Sudan now receive reduced rations, with key items expected to run out in the coming months. In war-torn Sudan, WFP supports about four million people monthly, yet 25 million — half the population — face acute food insecurity.
A fragile humanitarian lifeline
The WFP warns that cutbacks could push 13.7 million people from crisis level into emergency famine conditions — a one-third increase. For the first time in nearly a decade, Haiti has no hurricane-season contingency stock, and Afghanistan lacks prepositioned food supplies for winter.
“The devastating damage caused by food aid reductions not only threatens human lives,” McCain said, “but also risks undermining stability, fuelling displacement, and triggering broader social and economic upheaval.”
Why it matters
Observers note that reduced foreign aid from major donors — including the United States and several EU countries — has strained humanitarian budgets. Donors are redirecting funds toward domestic priorities and crises such as climate adaptation and migration management.
WFP officials urge governments and private partners to mobilize immediate contributions and adopt flexible funding mechanisms that allow rapid responses to changing emergencies. They stress that effective food assistance remains a vital bulwark against instability in fragile regions.
The European perspective
In Europe, the hunger crisis resonates with humanitarian actors and institutions. As reported by The European Times, reductions in EU humanitarian funding have already hampered efforts to stabilise food systems in Africa and the Middle East — a trend that the WFP’s new warning underscores at global scale.
Call for renewed commitment
The WFP is appealing to international partners to restore funding levels before year-end to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe. “Quick and efficient food aid,” McCain insisted, “is a vital bulwark against chaos in countries already struggling to cope.”
Without such support, the agency warns, hard-won progress in places like the Sahel — where 500,000 people were recently freed from aid dependency through resilience programmes — could rapidly unravel.