UN's food aid body warns of crisis as funding cut by 40%
ROME: The UN's World Food Programme warned Friday of an 'unprecedented crisis' as it faces a 40 percent drop in funding this year, risking life-saving aid for 58 million people.The WFP said that despite the generosity of many governments and individuals, it is 'experiencing a steep decline in funding across its major donors.''Right now, the organization is facing an alarming 40 percent drop in funding for 2025, as compared to last year,' the Rome-based agency said in statement.It added: 'The severity of these cuts, combined with record levels of people in need, have led to an unprecedented crisis for tens of millions across the globe reliant on food aid.'It did not name any individual country, but the United States, by far the WFP's biggest donor, has dramatically cut its aid funding since President Donald Trump took office in January.Other countries have also cut overseas aid, including Germany, the second biggest development aid donor behind the United States, and the UK, which is instead boosting defense spending.'WFP is prioritizing countries with the greatest needs and stretching food rations at the frontlines,' said Rania Dagash-Kamara, WFP Assistant Executive Director for Partnerships and Innovation.'While we are doing everything possible to reduce operational costs, make no mistake, we are facing a funding cliff with life-threatening consequences.'The WFP highlighted 28 of its most critical operations which it said were facing severe funding constraints and 'dangerously low food supplies' through to August.They include Lebanon, Sudan, Syria, South Sudan, Chad, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Uganda, Niger, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Mali, Bangladesh, Venezuela, Haiti, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, Kenya, Ukraine, Malawi, Burundi, Ethiopia, the Palestinian territories, Central African Republic, Jordan, and Egypt.The WFP had Thursday warned it had only two weeks' worth of food left in Gaza, where 'hundreds of thousands of people' are at risk of severe hunger and malnutrition.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
UN refugee agency says will shed 3,500 jobs due to funding cuts
GENEVA: The UN refugee agency said Monday it will cut 3,500 staff jobs — slashing nearly a third of its workforce costs — due to a funding shortfall, and reduce the scale of its help worldwide. UNHCR carried out a review of its activities, expenditure, staffing and structures following a plunge in humanitarian funding. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has been among a host of UN and private aid agencies badly hit by funding cuts by the United States. The United States — which was by far UNHCR's biggest donor — has slashed its foreign aid under a radical spending review ordered by US President Donald Trump. Other countries have also cut humanitarian spending. Washington previously made up more than 40 percent of UNHCR contributions received — $2 billion per year, the agency's chief Filippo Grandi told the UN Security Council in April. 'In light of difficult financial realities, UNHCR is compelled to reduce the overall scale of its operations,' Grandi said in Monday's statement. He added that UNHCR would focus 'on activities that have the greatest impact for refugees' while streamlining its Geneva headquarters and regional offices. The agency said it had had to close or downsize offices worldwide and implement a nearly 50-percent cut in senior positions in Geneva and at the regional HQs. 'In total, approximately 3,500 staff positions will be discontinued,' the statement said. Additionally, hundreds of temporary workers have had to leave the organization due to the funding shortfall. 'Overall, UNHCR estimates a global reduction in staffing costs of around 30 percent,' the agency said. It said that programs ranging from financial aid to vulnerable families, health, education, and water and sanitation had already been affected by cuts. UNHCR said it was working with other organizations and refugee-hosting countries to try to mitigate the impact on refugees. UNHCR estimates that it will end 2025 with available funding at about the same level as a decade ago — despite the number of people forced to flee their homes having nearly doubled over the same period to more than 122 million. 'Even as we face painful cuts and lose so many dedicated colleagues, our commitment to refugees remains unshakeable,' said Grandi. 'Although resources are scarcer and our capacity to deliver is reduced, we will continue to work hard to respond to emergencies, protect the rights of refugees, and pursue solutions — including returning home, as nearly two million Syrians have done since December.' Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, and ruler Bashar Assad was overthrown in December 2024. Sudan is now the world's largest forced displacement situation, with its 14.3 million refugees and internally displaced people overtaking Syria (13.5 million), followed by Afghanistan (10.3 million) and Ukraine (8.8 million). At the end of 2024, one in 67 people worldwide were forcibly displaced, UNHCR said Thursday.
Asharq Al-Awsat
4 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trump Demurs on US Involvement on Iran, Araghchi Hints it Can Step in to End Fighting
US President Donald Trump declined on Monday to answer what it would take for US to be directly involved in the growing conflict between Israel and Iran, saying he did not want to talk about the issue. Instead, he continued to press Iran on negotiations on its nuclear program. 'They should talk, and they should talk immediately,' Trump said during a bilateral meeting with the Canadian prime minister during the G7 summit. Trump added: 'I'd say Iran is not winning this war.' Earlier, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared to make a veiled outreach Monday for the US to step in and negotiate an end to dayslong hostilities between Israel and Iran. In a post on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, Araghchi wrote that if Trump is 'genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential.' 'It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu,' Iran's top diplomat continued. 'That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy.' The message to Washington comes as the most recent round of talks between US and Iran was canceled over the weekend after Israel targeted key military and political officials in Tehran on Thursday.
Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Iran-Israel tensions escalate as experts debate future of diplomacy
In this episode of W News, presented by Leigh-Ann Gerrans, we continue our special coverage on the escalating tension between Iran and Israel, now entering its fourth deadly day. The show explores the latest developments in the conflict, including strikes on Iran's military infrastructure and nuclear enrichment facilities. We'll also assess whether diplomacy still has a path forward, with former US President Donald Trump urging Tehran to return to negotiations. The episode features expert analysis on the implications of the IAEA's latest report and how it may have triggered Israel's actions. Join us for in-depth perspectives from analysts and correspondents across the globe. Guests: Marc Finaud – Associate Fellow, Geneva Center for Security Policy
