By 2026, 318 million people will face famine levels or worse, more than double the figure in 2019, the food agency reported in its Global Outlook 2026.
International support for the planet’s hungriest people is “slow, fragmented and underfunded”, meaning many people living in the world’s troubled areas are unlikely to be able to receive sufficient aid next year, it said. PAM.
Participants in a food security livelihood program sort freshly harvested eggplants in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
“It is the poorest who pay the ultimate price,” said Amina MohamedDeputy Secretary General of the UN. “When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers,” she added, citing an African proverb often used to convey the idea that when powerful nations, organizations or individuals engage in conflict, it is the weak or innocent who bear the brunt of the suffering.
Around the world, this “grass” – innocent civilians in Sudan, Gaza, Haiti, Yemen, the Sahel, the Democratic Republic of Congo and so many other places – are suffering beyond measure.
Families are paying the price for wars they did not start and decisions made in rooms where their voices are never heard, the deputy UN chief said.
WFP, an essential lifeline
“WFP provides a critical lifeline to people on the front lines of conflict and weather disasters, as well as those forced from their homes, and we are transforming the way we work to invest in long-term solutions to combat food insecurity,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain.
In 2026, the agency plans to help 110 million vulnerable people at an estimated cost of $13 billion, providing emergency food assistance, nutritional support, community resilience programs and technical assistance to strengthen national systems.
“The world is grappling with simultaneous famines in Gaza and parts of Sudan. This is completely unacceptable in the 21st century,” McCain said.
“Across the world, hunger is becoming more entrenched. WFP has proven time and time again that early, effective and innovative solutions can save and change lives – but we desperately need more support to continue this vital work.”
Investing in climate adaptation, promoting peace and supporting local markets, while ensuring women and young people have ownership and decision-making power, are among the key priorities to end world hunger, said Amina Mohammed.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
