Global hunger crisis threatened by funding shortfalls

Cuts to humanitarian aid funding could expose up to 13.7 million people to extreme levels of hunger worldwide, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned, CE Report quotes ANSA.

The United Nations agency said that six of its operations—in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan—are "currently facing severe disruptions, which will only worsen."

The WFP stated that its funding situation is "more difficult than ever," forecasting a 40% drop in 2025, which would mean a projected budget of $6.4 billion, down from $10 billion in 2024.

"The humanitarian system is under intense pressure as partners pull out from frontline areas, creating a vacuum," said the Rome-based agency in a new report titled “A Lifeline at Risk.”

The report did not name specific countries, but referenced a study published in the medical journal The Lancet, which estimates that 14 million additional deaths could occur globally by 2030—due to disease, malnutrition, and maternal and perinatal conditions—as a direct result of cuts to U.S. aid budgets.