the weeknd and barron segar WFP USA

 

The Weeknd raises millions to fight global hunger

Following the launch of the XO Humanitarian Fund in 2022, WFP's Goodwill Ambassador The Weeknd initially pledged $5 million to support millions of people experiencing hunger across the globe. As of May 2024, The Weeknd, his partners and fans have raised $6.5 million. He has directed $4.5 million toward WFP’s humanitarian response in Gaza, and $2 million for WFP’s emergency food assistance in Ethiopia. 

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A child eats bread sitting on the ground outside a tent in Gaza

Support to humanitarian response in Gaza

Most recently, The Weeknd has directed an additional allocation of $2 million toward WFP’s humanitarian response efforts in Gaza. This support will provide over 1,500 metric tons of fortified wheat flour, which can make over 18 million loaves of bread that can help feed more than 157,000 Palestinians for one month. 

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What is the UN World Food Programme?

A child from Napumpum Primary School (Uganda) waits for his name to be called to collect his take-home rations. Photo: WFP/Hugh Rutherford

The World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and supporting communities to be resilient, adapt to a changing climate and improve food systems. 

4.8M  metric tons of food distributed in 2022

160M+  people assisted in 2022 

+120  countries and territories around the world

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A Global Food Crisis

Since 2022, the number of people experiencing extreme hunger was accelerating at an unprecedented pace. Rising costs of food and energy, the lingering economic impacts of the pandemic, and the ripple effects of conflict are pushing the most vulnerable to the limit. In 2024, 309 million people are facing acute levels of food insecurity in the 72 countries with WFP operations.

How will the fund be used?

The goal with this fund is to provide immediate life-saving support to people who are on the brink of starvation. The partnership with The Weeknd will allow WFP to further expand its reach to those who need it most. The money will be used to assist families and communities on the frontlines of hunger, in countries like Ethiopia and Gaza.
  • Fresh manakish in the making in north Gaza by Maradi, a WFP e-voucher recipient.
    Gaza | WFP responds as 1.1 million people are struggling with catastrophic hunger. Humanitarian conditions in Gaza are critical. Food and water are in extremely short supply, shelters for displaced people are massively overcrowded, health services are collapsing and, without fuel, there is no electricity.
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  • The thatched roof Hana's roof is being gradually taken apart to feed her animals. Photo: WFP/Michael Tewelde
    Ethiopia | WFP responds as the worst drought in a lifetime intensifies hunger. With each season drier than the last, families inch closer and closer to losing all. As the son of Ethiopian immigrants to Canada, The Weeknd feels strongly about giving back to his homeland.
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