The United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a stark warning about an “unprecedented crisis” as it faces a 40% reduction in funding this year, jeopardizing life-saving assistance for 58 million people globally.
Despite ongoing support from governments and individuals, the Rome-based agency highlighted a steep decline in funding from its major donors. “Right now, the organisation is facing an alarming 40 percent drop in funding for 2025, as compared to last year,” the WFP said in a statement. “The severity of these cuts, combined with record levels of people in need, have led to an unprecedented crisis for tens of millions across the globe reliant on food aid.”
While the agency did not pinpoint specific countries responsible for the funding cuts, the United States, traditionally the largest donor to WFP, has significantly reduced its contributions since President Donald Trump assumed office. Other major donors, including Germany and the UK, have also scaled back overseas aid, prioritizing domestic spending and defense budgets instead.
To mitigate the impact of reduced funding, the WFP is prioritizing countries with the most urgent needs while stretching available food rations. “WFP is prioritizing countries with the greatest needs and stretching food rations at the frontlines,” said Rania Dagash-Kamara, WFP Assistant Executive Director for Partnerships and Innovation. “While we are doing everything possible to reduce operational costs, make no mistake, we are facing a funding cliff with life-threatening consequences.”
The WFP identified 28 critical operations suffering from severe funding constraints and dangerously low food supplies through August. These include crisis-hit regions such as Sudan, Syria, South Sudan, Chad, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Uganda, Niger, Burkina Faso, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kenya, Ethiopia, Ukraine, and the Palestinian territories are also among those facing acute shortages.
In Gaza, the WFP warned that its remaining food stocks would last only two weeks, leaving “hundreds of thousands of people” at risk of severe hunger and malnutrition. Without urgent intervention, millions across these vulnerable regions could face worsening food insecurity, exacerbating already dire humanitarian conditions.
The agency has called on the international community to step up support and prevent a global food crisis from escalating further.
