News releases

CHISINAU: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a £5 million contribution from the United Kingdom to support the provision of emergency cash to Moldovan families hosting refugees affected by the conflict in neighboring Ukraine.

BAGHDAD – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) received a contribution of US$ 6.4 million from the Government of Japan, which is helping WFP support up to 255,000 crisis-affected displaced Iraqis who remain unable to return home, plus emergency transition support for 12,000 vulnerable and food-insecure people. All are confronting higher food prices that are threatening the food security of families.

ROME – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) have agreed a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening cooperation in the areas of food systems and innovative financing.

DAR ES SALAAM - Today the United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing US$9 million in critical food assistance to bring immediate relief to the most vulnerable people in Tanzania. This new contribution will allow USAID’s partner, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), to provide life-saving food assistance to 204,000 refugees hosted at camps in north western Tanzania

DUSHANBE – The Government of Tajikistan and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today presented the 2022-2027 State Programme on School Feeding Development in the Republic of Tajikistan. The presentation in Dushanbe was attended by representatives for the Government, UN agencies and the Embassy of the Russian Federation.

ROME - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes today’s announcement by G7 leaders meeting in Elmau, Germany, that they will provide an additional US$ 4.5 billion to protect the world’s most vulnerable people from hunger and malnutrition.

KABUL – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has delivered emergency food assistance to 18,200 people affected by the devastating earthquake that struck Paktika and Khost on 22 June. The 5.9 magnitude quake killed around 800 people, injured 1,500 others, and destroyed hundreds of homes.

NB: This is a re-issue of a 23 June 2022 joint FAO-WFP news release. This version corrects the number of people facing acute levels of food insecurity in Cabo Verde.

DAKAR – The number of people affected by food insecurity in Cabo Verde is set to spike with more than 46,000 women, men and children – almost 10 percent of the population - facing an acute deterioration in food security between June and August this year. This represents a threat to the country’s hard-won gains in food security over recent years forcing the Government to declare a social and economic national emergency on 20 June. If not urgently addressed, this will severely disrupt food access and agricultural production, putting more lives at risk as the country depends largely on imports to meet its food needs.

KABUL – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has rapidly deployed food and logistics equipment to support communities devasted by the 22 June earthquake that struck near the city of Khost. 18 trucks are being deployed to the earthquake-affected areas carrying emergency supplies, including High Energy Biscuits (HEB) and mobile storage units. WFP plans to provide emergency food to an initial 3,000 households and is ready to ramp up its support pending results of ongoing post-disaster assessments.

ADDIS ABABA –  Hunger is tightening its grip on more than 20[1] million people in Ethiopia who are facing a combination of conflict in the north and climate shocks – drought – in the south while dwindling resources mean food and nutrition support may run dry from next month, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today.

DAKAR –The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in partnership with the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and the Senegalese Ministry of Economy, Plan and Cooperation, today launched the annual forum of intergovernmental organisations from West Africa, to examine and address the impact of emerging risks and challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the unfolding crisis in Ukraine.

BANGKOK/COLOMBO – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed an AUD 22 million (US 15 million) contribution from the Government of Australia to help millions of Sri Lankans who are unable to afford food.

ROME – Further food ration cuts are imminent for refugees as humanitarian needs multiply around the world while funding struggles to keep pace, warns the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on World Refugee Day. The somber warning comes as WFP has already been forced to significantly reduce rations to refugees across its operations.

VIENTIANE – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with the Government of Lao PDR and humanitarian partners, met today to discuss achievements and lessons learned from providing food assistance to returning migrant workers through the COVID-19 quarantine centres across the country.

DUSHANBE – Representatives from the Government of Tajikistan, wheat flour mills and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today held a roundtable meeting in Guliston town, Sughd Region, to discuss the implementation of the national fortification law and hear from various stakeholders in wheat flour fortification in the country.

ROME – The UN World Food Programme will host an online press briefing on Monday on the need for a coordinated and strong international response to the looming global food crisis.

COLOMBO – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today began distributing food vouchers to pregnant women in underserved districts of Colombo, marking the start of WFP’s emergency response in the country. WFP is working to provide life-saving food, cash and voucher assistance to three million of the most vulnerable people who can no longer meet their food needs due to Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic crisis.

KHARTOUM – A record 15 million people in Sudan – one-third of the population – are currently facing acute food insecurity, the Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment (CFSVA) released by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) shows.

EAST JERUSALEM – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development have provided cash assistance for people with disabilities in Hebron, West Bank, providing immediate relief for over 13,000 of the most vulnerable people.

JUBA – Almost one-third of the acutely food insecure South Sudanese the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) planned to support this year will be left without humanitarian food assistance due to critical funding shortages, heightening the risk of starvation for 1.7 million people.

DAKAR – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that its UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) – that provides crucial transport links for humanitarian responders to the world’s most remote and challenging locations - will be forced to ground its planes in Guinea and Niger by August 2022 if additional funding of US$ 6.4 million is not urgently provided. This situation risks cutting off crisis-affected communities from life-saving aid at a time of unprecedented humanitarian needs.

MAPUTO – The World Food Programme in Mozambique (WFP) welcomed the visit of the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, on 14 June to the WFP warehouse in Matola City. At this occasion, the US Government also announced a US$29.5 million donation to support WFP’s humanitarian food assistance to 940,000 people affected by insecurity, conflict, and natural disasters in northern Mozambique as well as the improvement of the registration of displaced populations jointly with the Government of Mozambique and partners.

JOHANNESBURG- Following years of supporting humanitarian organisations and its causes, self- taught African fine artist Reggie Khumalo, who uses his art as a vehicle for social change, will this month be visiting World Food Programme (WFP) projects in Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya.

ROME: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is working with Uber Technologies Inc, a global mobility and delivery platform, to transport emergency assistance to people in need in urban areas across Ukraine through the use of a custom-built version of Uber’s platform.

Food insecurity and malnutrition worsen across Somalia as risk of famine increases amid historic fourth failed rainy season.

Mogadishu – A historic fourth consecutive failed rainy season, skyrocketing prices and an underfunded humanitarian response have resulted in a 160 percent increase in people facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity, starvation and disease in Somalia. With no end in sight for the devastating drought affecting the country, the risk of famine looms larger than ever. An urgent increase in support from the international community is essential to avert famine.