World Food Programme
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The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
About us
Organization
Funding
Partnerships
Accountability
SDG2: Zero Hunger
In a world of plenty, hunger should be a thing of the past
In a world of plenty, where enough food is produced to feed everyone on the planet, hunger should be a thing of the past. However, conflict, climate change, disasters, inequality and – most recently – the COVID-19 pandemic mean one in nine people globally is still going to bed hungry and famine looms for millions.
Powered by the passion, dedication and professionalism of our 20,000 staff worldwide, the World Food Programme (WFP) works in 117 countries and territories to bring life-saving food to people displaced by conflict and made destitute by disasters, and help individuals and communities find life-changing solutions to the multiple challenges they face in building better futures.
We work to enhance nutrition in women and children, support smallholder farmers in improving productivity and reducing losses, help countries and communities prepare for and cope with climate-related shocks, and boost human capital through school feeding programmes.
In conflict situations, we bring relief to exhausted populations and use food assistance to build pathways to peace and stability – work for which WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
We are the largest Humanitarian Organization
For millions of people worldwide, WFP assistance is what makes the difference between life and death. Our timely intervention at times of heightened crisis has helped pull people back from the brink of starvation. Our work to build resilience, adapt to a changing climate, promote good nutrition and improve food systems is helping lay the foundations for a more prosperous future for millions.
Executive Director David Beasley (WFP/Michael Dakwa)
Executive Director David Beasley. Photo: WFP/Michael Dakwa
A member of the UN family, WFP is governed by an Executive Board consisting of 36 Member States, which provides intergovernmental support, direction and supervision of WFP’s activities. The organization is headed by an Executive Director, who is appointed jointly by the UN Secretary-General and the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
MissionCorporate strategyGovernance and leadershipHistory
We are completely reliant on voluntary donations
Feeding millions of the world’s hungriest people and helping millions more cope with the effects of conflict, climate change and entrenched poverty requires billions of dollars every year – our funding requirement for 2021 stands at US$15 billion.
Our operations are entirely funded through the generous voluntary contributions of donor governments, institutions, corporations and individuals. A total 93.5 percent of all government contributions go directly to supporting life-saving and life-changing operations.
Discover How we are funded
We are working in partnership with others
Agenda 2030 clearly states that sustainable development will only be possible through effective partnerships. True to its spirit, WFP works with governments, other UN agencies, NGOs, private companies and others to mobilize resources, find innovative solutions and reach vulnerable communities with the assistance they need, when they need it.
Staff from different humanitarian agencies working together. Photo: WFP/Giulio d'Adamo
Photo: WFP/Giulio d'Adamo
GovernmentsNon-governmental organizationsPrivate sectorUN agencies and international institutionsClusters and multistakeholder partnershipsAcademia and think tanksGoodwill ambassadors, advocates and high-level supporters
We are committed to accountability and transparency
WFP holds itself and its staff to the highest standards of integrity and behaviour. We are committed to full transparency and accountability to the people we serve and to the donors who generously fund our operations.
We carry out objective and independent audits, as well as investigations and inspections into suspected wrongdoing, misconduct and fraud, as well as sexual exploitation or abuse.
To ensure that we are fit for purpose, and that we remain so in a constantly and rapidly changing environment, we carry out periodic independent evaluations that provide donors and partners with greater detail about the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, impact and sustainability of our work, and that help us to continue improving.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience.
As the international community has committed to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition by 2030, one in nine people worldwide still do not have enough to eat. Food and food-related assistance lie at the heart of the struggle to break the cycle of hunger and poverty.
For its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict, WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
In 2020, WFP assisted 115.5 million people – the largest number since 2012 – in 84 countries.
On any given day, WFP has 5,600 trucks, 30 ships and nearly 100 planes on the move, delivering food and other assistance to those in most need. These numbers lie at the roots of WFP’s unparalleled reputation as an emergency responder, one that gets the job done quickly at scale in the most difficult environments.
WFP’s efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid and special operations. Two-thirds of our work is in conflict-affected countries where people are three times more likely to be undernourished than those living in countries without conflict.
Adopted just over a year after the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the World Food Programme (WFP)’s Strategic Plan for 2017-2021 aligns the organization’s work to the 2030 Agenda’s global call to action, which prioritizes efforts to end poverty, hunger and inequality, encompassing humanitarian as well as development efforts.
The Strategic Plan is guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth in the 2030 Agenda, in particular SDG 2 on ending hunger and SDG 17 on revitalizing global partnerships for implementation of the SDGs. It ushers in a new planning and operational structure, including the implementation of results-based country portfolios that will maximize WFP’s contribution to governments’ efforts towards achieving the SDGs.
Responding to emergencies and saving lives and livelihoods – either through direct assistance, or by strengthening country capacities – remains at the heart of WFP’s operations, especially as humanitarian needs become increasingly complex and protracted.
At the same time, WFP will support countries in ensuring no one is left behind by continuing to build resilience for food security and nutrition and addressing the growing challenges posed by climate change and rising inequality.
Mirroring the structure of the 2030 Agenda, each of the Plan’s two Strategic Goals – support countries to achieve Zero Hunger and partner to support implementation of the SDGs – is articulated through Strategic Objectives and Strategic Results, against which progress can be measured.You might think famines are a thing of the past. They should be. But famine still exists and as you read this, 44 million people around the world stand on the brink — and the slightest shock could tip them over the edge. Tragically, by the time a famine is declared, it's already too late. Thousands of people are already dying of hunger.
WFP has the expertise, deep-field presence and operational scale to stop famine in its tracks, and steer people away from the edge of starvation. We work around the clock to avert famine, but urgently need funding to do this. The price of doing nothing will inevitably be measured in lost lives.
In a world where food production keeps increasing, there is no reason that humans should still be suffering this fate.
What are the main causes of famine?
There are many problems which contribute to famine.
Conflict is the biggest driver of famine. Hunger levels worsen when conflict drives large numbers of people from their homes, their land and their jobs. Famines tend to occur in areas where access is restricted, a common factor in conflict zones.
Climate change and more regular droughts are increasing food shortages. Drought means fewer crops, and climate-induced migration is driving farmers from their land.
The fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic is contributing to sharply increasing hunger numbers. Measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 have hit economies worldwide, pushing millions into unemployment and poverty, and leaving governments and donors with fewer resources to address the food and nutritional needs of the most vulnerable people.
Inequality is also critical factor, with low incomes putting affordable food beyond the reach of millions.
Where is there famine in the world?
There are no countries in the world currently meeting the official definition of a famine outlined above, but there are many countries where the risk of starvation is real and famine could happen very soon.
While the majority of affected people live in countries in Africa, the risk of famine is global. Acute hunger is set to rise steeply in most world regions, from the Middle East to Latin America and the Caribbean.
Famines tend to occur in areas where humanitarian access is restricted. In Yemen and South Sudan in particular, conflict, insecurity and resulting displacement are driving acute hunger to alarming levels.
As well as in those two countries, people in the northern parts of Ethiopia and Nigeria are also at particular risk, according to the Hunger Hotspots report, published jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme.
Globally, 44 million people in 38 countries are currently on the very edge of famine and risk starvation, up from 27 million people in 2019
Disasters are amongst the main drivers of hunger and malnutrition in the world. Their impacts result in the loss of lives and livelihoods, destruction of homes, damage to productive assets and infrastructure, and reduced availability of food and water. The strategies affected people adopt to cope with disaster impacts – including cutting back on meals, selling livestock and tools and taking children out of school – can have long-lasting effects, trapping them in repetitive cycles of hunger and poverty.
For the World Food Programme (WFP), working to prevent, mitigate and prepare for disasters is an essential part of its mandate to combat hunger in the world. In fact, WFP’s country programmes integrate dedicated actions to address the risks of climate disasters and mitigate their repercussions on food security. However, much more needs to be done considering that the number of disasters, induced by natural hazards, are increasing over time. An extension of this trend, climate-related disasters have arisen, with 334 disaster events per year in 2000-2019 compared to 182 events per year in 1980-1999..
The fact that up to 811 million people are chronically hungry across the world suggests that food systems – the networks that are needed to produce and transform food, and ensure it reaches consumers – are not meeting the needs of large sections of society. Improving the performance of food systems and their ability to cater even for the poorest will therefore be key to achieving Zero Hunger.
Flawed or broken food systems can affect food security in a number of ways. They can drive prices up, making it difficult for the poorest to afford nutritious food, or prevent smallholder farmers from making good profits from their crops.
Food system disruptions can be linked to shocks related to climate change and globalization, as well as conflict and strife. Even in stable contexts, poor communication, transportation and storage facilities, dysfunctional commercial markets and inequalities can limit people’s ability to access the food they need.
For the World Food Programme (WFP), food systems are not abstract concepts. Our experience buying and distributing food in 80 countries across the world has given us an understanding of the main problems facing food systems. These are:
To get to Zero Hunger, food is not enough. Providing food assistance in an emergency can save lives, but the right nutrition at the right time can also help change lives and break the cycle of poverty.
This is why, as the leading organization providing food assistance to the world’s most vulnerable, the World Food Programme (WFP) prioritizes nutrition as a core element of its work.
Despite significant progress over recent decades, poor nutrition remains a colossal and universal problem, with one in three people on the planet affected by some form of malnutrition. Undernutrition – inadequate energy or nutrients – continues to affect more than 150 million children worldwide, while rates of overweight and obesity are also rising in all countries. Conflict and natural disasters are exacerbating the problem.
Malnutrition at its extremes can be a matter of life and death, and in the long term can hold back people and countries, undermining economies and development. Despite producing most of the world’s food, smallholder farmers tend to be food insecure themselves: globally, they form the majority of people living in poverty. Helping raise their incomes and improve their livelihoods holds the key to building sustainable food systems, advancing food security and achieving Zero Hunger.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is well placed to contribute to this process. Thanks to our large demand for staple foods, farmer-directed procurement processes and locally-geared supply chains, many smallholders gain an entry point into formal markets. Encouraged to form associations, they are able to negotiate better, sell more, lower their transaction costs and extend their customer base.
But smallholders continue to face serious constraints. Some are unable to produce enough to last through the lean season. Others may generate a small surplus, yet struggle to make a profit. Overall, smallholders lack access to productive inputs and financing. Post-harvest management, including storage, is often inadequate: crops are exposed to mold, rot and pests. All the while, increasingly extreme weather events add to the challenge: often reliant on rain-fed agriculture, smallholders are powerless in the face of climate hazards.
About us
Organization
Funding
Partnerships
Accountability
SDG2: Zero Hunger
In a world of plenty, hunger should be a thing of the past
In a world of plenty, where enough food is produced to feed everyone on the planet, hunger should be a thing of the past. However, conflict, climate change, disasters, inequality and – most recently – the COVID-19 pandemic mean one in nine people globally is still going to bed hungry and famine looms for millions.
Powered by the passion, dedication and professionalism of our 20,000 staff worldwide, the World Food Programme (WFP) works in 117 countries and territories to bring life-saving food to people displaced by conflict and made destitute by disasters, and help individuals and communities find life-changing solutions to the multiple challenges they face in building better futures.
We work to enhance nutrition in women and children, support smallholder farmers in improving productivity and reducing losses, help countries and communities prepare for and cope with climate-related shocks, and boost human capital through school feeding programmes.
In conflict situations, we bring relief to exhausted populations and use food assistance to build pathways to peace and stability – work for which WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
We are the largest Humanitarian Organization
For millions of people worldwide, WFP assistance is what makes the difference between life and death. Our timely intervention at times of heightened crisis has helped pull people back from the brink of starvation. Our work to build resilience, adapt to a changing climate, promote good nutrition and improve food systems is helping lay the foundations for a more prosperous future for millions.
Executive Director David Beasley (WFP/Michael Dakwa)
Executive Director David Beasley. Photo: WFP/Michael Dakwa
A member of the UN family, WFP is governed by an Executive Board consisting of 36 Member States, which provides intergovernmental support, direction and supervision of WFP’s activities. The organization is headed by an Executive Director, who is appointed jointly by the UN Secretary-General and the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
MissionCorporate strategyGovernance and leadershipHistory
We are completely reliant on voluntary donations
Feeding millions of the world’s hungriest people and helping millions more cope with the effects of conflict, climate change and entrenched poverty requires billions of dollars every year – our funding requirement for 2021 stands at US$15 billion.
Our operations are entirely funded through the generous voluntary contributions of donor governments, institutions, corporations and individuals. A total 93.5 percent of all government contributions go directly to supporting life-saving and life-changing operations.
Discover How we are funded
We are working in partnership with others
Agenda 2030 clearly states that sustainable development will only be possible through effective partnerships. True to its spirit, WFP works with governments, other UN agencies, NGOs, private companies and others to mobilize resources, find innovative solutions and reach vulnerable communities with the assistance they need, when they need it.
Staff from different humanitarian agencies working together. Photo: WFP/Giulio d'Adamo
Photo: WFP/Giulio d'Adamo
GovernmentsNon-governmental organizationsPrivate sectorUN agencies and international institutionsClusters and multistakeholder partnershipsAcademia and think tanksGoodwill ambassadors, advocates and high-level supporters
We are committed to accountability and transparency
WFP holds itself and its staff to the highest standards of integrity and behaviour. We are committed to full transparency and accountability to the people we serve and to the donors who generously fund our operations.
We carry out objective and independent audits, as well as investigations and inspections into suspected wrongdoing, misconduct and fraud, as well as sexual exploitation or abuse.
To ensure that we are fit for purpose, and that we remain so in a constantly and rapidly changing environment, we carry out periodic independent evaluations that provide donors and partners with greater detail about the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, impact and sustainability of our work, and that help us to continue improving.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience.
As the international community has committed to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition by 2030, one in nine people worldwide still do not have enough to eat. Food and food-related assistance lie at the heart of the struggle to break the cycle of hunger and poverty.
For its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict, WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
In 2020, WFP assisted 115.5 million people – the largest number since 2012 – in 84 countries.
On any given day, WFP has 5,600 trucks, 30 ships and nearly 100 planes on the move, delivering food and other assistance to those in most need. These numbers lie at the roots of WFP’s unparalleled reputation as an emergency responder, one that gets the job done quickly at scale in the most difficult environments.
WFP’s efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid and special operations. Two-thirds of our work is in conflict-affected countries where people are three times more likely to be undernourished than those living in countries without conflict.
Adopted just over a year after the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the World Food Programme (WFP)’s Strategic Plan for 2017-2021 aligns the organization’s work to the 2030 Agenda’s global call to action, which prioritizes efforts to end poverty, hunger and inequality, encompassing humanitarian as well as development efforts.
The Strategic Plan is guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth in the 2030 Agenda, in particular SDG 2 on ending hunger and SDG 17 on revitalizing global partnerships for implementation of the SDGs. It ushers in a new planning and operational structure, including the implementation of results-based country portfolios that will maximize WFP’s contribution to governments’ efforts towards achieving the SDGs.
Responding to emergencies and saving lives and livelihoods – either through direct assistance, or by strengthening country capacities – remains at the heart of WFP’s operations, especially as humanitarian needs become increasingly complex and protracted.
At the same time, WFP will support countries in ensuring no one is left behind by continuing to build resilience for food security and nutrition and addressing the growing challenges posed by climate change and rising inequality.
Mirroring the structure of the 2030 Agenda, each of the Plan’s two Strategic Goals – support countries to achieve Zero Hunger and partner to support implementation of the SDGs – is articulated through Strategic Objectives and Strategic Results, against which progress can be measured.You might think famines are a thing of the past. They should be. But famine still exists and as you read this, 44 million people around the world stand on the brink — and the slightest shock could tip them over the edge. Tragically, by the time a famine is declared, it's already too late. Thousands of people are already dying of hunger.
WFP has the expertise, deep-field presence and operational scale to stop famine in its tracks, and steer people away from the edge of starvation. We work around the clock to avert famine, but urgently need funding to do this. The price of doing nothing will inevitably be measured in lost lives.
In a world where food production keeps increasing, there is no reason that humans should still be suffering this fate.
What are the main causes of famine?
There are many problems which contribute to famine.
Conflict is the biggest driver of famine. Hunger levels worsen when conflict drives large numbers of people from their homes, their land and their jobs. Famines tend to occur in areas where access is restricted, a common factor in conflict zones.
Climate change and more regular droughts are increasing food shortages. Drought means fewer crops, and climate-induced migration is driving farmers from their land.
The fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic is contributing to sharply increasing hunger numbers. Measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 have hit economies worldwide, pushing millions into unemployment and poverty, and leaving governments and donors with fewer resources to address the food and nutritional needs of the most vulnerable people.
Inequality is also critical factor, with low incomes putting affordable food beyond the reach of millions.
Where is there famine in the world?
There are no countries in the world currently meeting the official definition of a famine outlined above, but there are many countries where the risk of starvation is real and famine could happen very soon.
While the majority of affected people live in countries in Africa, the risk of famine is global. Acute hunger is set to rise steeply in most world regions, from the Middle East to Latin America and the Caribbean.
Famines tend to occur in areas where humanitarian access is restricted. In Yemen and South Sudan in particular, conflict, insecurity and resulting displacement are driving acute hunger to alarming levels.
As well as in those two countries, people in the northern parts of Ethiopia and Nigeria are also at particular risk, according to the Hunger Hotspots report, published jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme.
Globally, 44 million people in 38 countries are currently on the very edge of famine and risk starvation, up from 27 million people in 2019
Disasters are amongst the main drivers of hunger and malnutrition in the world. Their impacts result in the loss of lives and livelihoods, destruction of homes, damage to productive assets and infrastructure, and reduced availability of food and water. The strategies affected people adopt to cope with disaster impacts – including cutting back on meals, selling livestock and tools and taking children out of school – can have long-lasting effects, trapping them in repetitive cycles of hunger and poverty.
For the World Food Programme (WFP), working to prevent, mitigate and prepare for disasters is an essential part of its mandate to combat hunger in the world. In fact, WFP’s country programmes integrate dedicated actions to address the risks of climate disasters and mitigate their repercussions on food security. However, much more needs to be done considering that the number of disasters, induced by natural hazards, are increasing over time. An extension of this trend, climate-related disasters have arisen, with 334 disaster events per year in 2000-2019 compared to 182 events per year in 1980-1999..
The fact that up to 811 million people are chronically hungry across the world suggests that food systems – the networks that are needed to produce and transform food, and ensure it reaches consumers – are not meeting the needs of large sections of society. Improving the performance of food systems and their ability to cater even for the poorest will therefore be key to achieving Zero Hunger.
Flawed or broken food systems can affect food security in a number of ways. They can drive prices up, making it difficult for the poorest to afford nutritious food, or prevent smallholder farmers from making good profits from their crops.
Food system disruptions can be linked to shocks related to climate change and globalization, as well as conflict and strife. Even in stable contexts, poor communication, transportation and storage facilities, dysfunctional commercial markets and inequalities can limit people’s ability to access the food they need.
For the World Food Programme (WFP), food systems are not abstract concepts. Our experience buying and distributing food in 80 countries across the world has given us an understanding of the main problems facing food systems. These are:
To get to Zero Hunger, food is not enough. Providing food assistance in an emergency can save lives, but the right nutrition at the right time can also help change lives and break the cycle of poverty.
This is why, as the leading organization providing food assistance to the world’s most vulnerable, the World Food Programme (WFP) prioritizes nutrition as a core element of its work.
Despite significant progress over recent decades, poor nutrition remains a colossal and universal problem, with one in three people on the planet affected by some form of malnutrition. Undernutrition – inadequate energy or nutrients – continues to affect more than 150 million children worldwide, while rates of overweight and obesity are also rising in all countries. Conflict and natural disasters are exacerbating the problem.
Malnutrition at its extremes can be a matter of life and death, and in the long term can hold back people and countries, undermining economies and development. Despite producing most of the world’s food, smallholder farmers tend to be food insecure themselves: globally, they form the majority of people living in poverty. Helping raise their incomes and improve their livelihoods holds the key to building sustainable food systems, advancing food security and achieving Zero Hunger.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is well placed to contribute to this process. Thanks to our large demand for staple foods, farmer-directed procurement processes and locally-geared supply chains, many smallholders gain an entry point into formal markets. Encouraged to form associations, they are able to negotiate better, sell more, lower their transaction costs and extend their customer base.
But smallholders continue to face serious constraints. Some are unable to produce enough to last through the lean season. Others may generate a small surplus, yet struggle to make a profit. Overall, smallholders lack access to productive inputs and financing. Post-harvest management, including storage, is often inadequate: crops are exposed to mold, rot and pests. All the while, increasingly extreme weather events add to the challenge: often reliant on rain-fed agriculture, smallholders are powerless in the face of climate hazards.
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WFP.Kampala@wfp.org
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+39-06-65131
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+256 (0) 312 242 425
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