News releases

NEW DELHI: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) facilitated a crucial learning visit for a high-level Nigerian delegation to India. India’s rice fortification journey inspired the delegation of government officials from ministries, health, food security and education departments, food regulatory bodies, and the private sector to advocate for mandatory integration of fortified rice in Nigeria's food-based social safety networks.

ROME – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has begun rolling out food distributions to nearly 900,000 refugees in Ethiopia, following a full revamp of the safeguards and controls in its refugee operations. Families living in refugee camps across five regions, including new arrivals who have fled from Sudan, are receiving food parcels for the first time since WFP paused food distributions in June 2023, following reports of large-scale diversions.

Kathmandu – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a generous contribution of $499,951 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for monitoring activities that improve the quality and availability of data about food security, nutrition, and livelihoods in Nepal. Over the next two years, this information will enable public stakeholders to make more effective and data-driven investment decisions to improve food security and community resilience.

JOHANNESBURG/NEW YORK – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Arab Emirates have signed an agreement to implement an innovative initiative to equip schools in the Southern African region with high-quality digital and hybrid education.

Mr. President, thank you for inviting me to brief the Security Council on the vital importance of partnering with the private sector to address humanitarian needs.

Ongoing conflict and lack of humanitarian access are weakening already vulnerable communities.

Bamako – A combination of protracted armed conflict, internal displacement, and restricted humanitarian access risks pushing nearly one million children under the age of 5 in Mali into acute malnutrition by December 2023 – with at least 200,000 at risk of dying of hunger if life-saving aid fails to reach them.

BRASILIA – Around 200 participants from more than 20 countries, including government ministers, representatives from international financial institutions and the United Nations are set to gather in Brasilia on 29-31 August to reinforce commitments and chart out pathways to strengthen human capital in the region so that every person is able to reach their full potential.

SANAA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has announced today that it is facing a deeper funding crisis for its Yemen operations from the end of September onward. This will force WFP to make difficult decisions about further cuts to our food assistance programs across the country in the coming months.   All of WFP’s major programs will be affected – General Food Assistance (GFA), Nutrition, School Feeding and Resilience Activities – totalling 17.7 million interventions in the first half of 2023.    

Leaders from FAO, IFAD and WFP warn of a deepening crisis in South Sudan without immediate action and investment in resilience.

Juba – The cost of inaction in addressing South Sudan’s complex food, climate, and insecurity crises will be felt in the loss of lives, livelihoods and futures for millions of people across the young nation, the heads of three United Nations agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warned today as they wrapped up a three-day visit to the country.

GUATEMALA CITY – At the end of a five-day visit to Guatemala, Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan called for increased inclusion of women in development action, including in in micro-finance and agricultural trade and production. Princess Sarah noted how this increases their impact, with improved nutrition and a better quality of life for their families.

Baghdad, Iraq – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Iraq welcomed a generous €5 million contribution from the European Union (EU) to provide cash assistance to internally displaced and crisis-affected Iraqis missing one or more essential civil documents until they are integrated within the national social safety net.

Lusaka – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with the Government of the Republic Zambia have launched a five-year plan targeting nearly 650,000 people. The plan seeks to eliminate hunger, improve nutrition, and strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities to food shocks.

BEIRUT, 20 June 2023 – (UN Women, World Food Programme). The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in advancing gender equality, women’s empowerment, and social inclusion in Lebanon.

DAMASCUS – An unprecedented funding crisis in Syria is forcing the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to cut assistance to 2.5 million of the 5.5 million people who rely on the agency for their basic food needs. The announcement comes as the European Union gears up to host the seventh Brussels Conference on “Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region” on Wednesday.

Burkina Faso, Haiti, Mali and the Sudan have been elevated to the highest alert level to join Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.

2022 Overview highlights the need to focus on trade as an enabler to achieve food security and nutrition

CAIRO – As the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region celebrates the beginning of the Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan, it is experiencing a deepening food security crisis due to the combination of high food inflation and collapsing currencies. This is affecting millions of people across the region, particularly those living in countries already facing conflict and instability.

DAMASCUS – An average monthly wage in Syria currently covers about a quarter of a family’s food needs, the UN World Food Programme said today, highlighting an urgent need for increased humanitarian assistance as the country grapples with the devastating impact of recent earthquakes and a 12-year-long conflict.

Joint US/UN News Release/NIAMEY– The combined effects of conflict, climate shocks, and high food prices continues to drive hunger up and push basic meals out of the reach of millions in Niger, demanding immediate and collective action, United States Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome Cindy McCain told journalists at the end of their week-long, U.S.- sponsored field visit to Zinder, Dosso and Tillaberi regions.

ALGIERS – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed a €1 million contribution from the Government of Italy that will help provide daily school meals for children attending schools and nurseries in Tindouf refugee camps.

ANKARA/DAMASCUS – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has delivered urgently needed food assistance to 115,000 people in Syria and Türkiye in the first four days since deadly earthquakes struck the region, killing thousands and forcing tens of thousands into the freezing outside temperatures. Distributions are ongoing.

Official launch by FAO, WFP and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Integrated Acute Food Insecurity Phase Classification Results Study in Lebanon.

KAMPONG CHHNANG & PURSAT – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, with support from KOICA, are this month recognizing the role school cooks play in the school meals programme through a series cooking competitions.

YEREVAN – With a generous contribution of US$750,000 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) will support the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to strengthen the shock responsiveness of the social protection system in Armenia.

COLOMBO – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Sri Lanka welcomed a contribution of EUR 500,000 (approximately LKR 190 million) from France towards its emergency response for children and families affected by the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. Around 9,000 families facing high levels of food insecurity will receive nutritious foods to help them feed their under-five children.