WFP Warns Funding Crisis Will Leave Millions Without Food Aid in 2026
WFP Warns Funding Crisis Will Leave Millions Without Food Aid in 2026
…………..
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that deep cuts to global humanitarian funding will leave the agency able to support only a fraction of the 318 million people projected to face severe hunger in 2026, Arab News reported. In a statement Tuesday, the WFP said declining contributions mean it will be forced to prioritize aid for roughly one third of those in need, focusing on the 110 million most vulnerable.
The agency estimates it will require $13 billion next year to assist that core group but cautioned that current funding projections indicate it may receive only about half of that amount. The WFP’s largest donor, the United States, has reduced foreign aid under President Donald Trump, while several major European donors have also trimmed humanitarian budgets, contributing to the widening resource gap.
According to the WFP, the number of people experiencing acute hunger has more than doubled since 2019, driven by conflict, extreme weather events and worsening economic instability. UN agencies have formally declared famine conditions in both Gaza and parts of Sudan this year—an outcome WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain described as “completely unacceptable in the 21st century.”
In a foreword to the WFP’s 2026 Global Outlook report, McCain warned that the international response to escalating hunger “remains slow, fragmented and underfunded.” She said global aid now covers less than half of identified needs and that nearly all WFP operations have been forced to scale back food and cash assistance, leaving staff to make difficult decisions about who receives support.
The agency also highlighted rising risks for humanitarian workers, noting a surge in attacks that reflect a growing disregard for international humanitarian law. Of those projected to face hunger in 2026, an estimated 41 million people fall into emergency or worse categories.
Last week, both the WFP and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization identified 16 global “hunger hotspots,” spanning regions from Haiti to South Sudan. In a joint report, the agencies said they had received only $10.5 billion of the $29 billion required to meet urgent needs, warning that persistent funding gaps are intensifying already severe conditions.
