News releases

This is a summary of what was said by Samatha Chattaraj, WFP’s Emergency Coordinator for Sudan (speaking from Port Sudan via Zoom) – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

GENEVA – I am here to give you a brief update on WFP’s operations in Sudan, undoubtably one of the most complex and challenging humanitarian situations.

GAZA, Palestine – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has depleted all its food stocks for families in Gaza.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Hunger and malnutrition are on the rise in Ethiopia as ongoing conflict, regional instability, displacement, drought and economic shocks, leave millions without sufficient nutritious food, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned today. The organization’s life-saving response has been severely hampered by critical funding shortfalls as 3.6 million of the most vulnerable are at imminent risk of losing food assistance, including malnutrition treatment for 650,000 women and children.

WFP scaling up emergency assistance in hard-hit areas, but needs outpacing available resources.

LUSAKA - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a contribution of EUR 500,000 from the Government of Finland to strengthen Zambia’s national school meals programme. The one-year initiative will enhance the nutrition of over 34,000 learners in thirty-three schools across Zambia while promoting climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable food systems.

PORT SUDAN, Sudan – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is urgently calling for unimpeded access to immediately preposition food assistance across key locations in Sudan, as deliberate obstruction by parties on the ground and the approaching rainy season threaten to render vast areas of the country inaccessible by road. Without swift action, WFP warns that millions of vulnerable people could be cut off from life-saving aid, placing fragile humanitarian gains at serious risk.

JUBA, South Sudan – Vulnerable families in the northeast of South Sudan are at a critical tipping point as conflict escalates and hunger nears record levels, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today.

The three-year initiative is backed by US$40 million in co-financing from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Grundfos Foundation.

LILONGWE, Malawi – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a contribution of €4 million from the Government of Italy to expand the Home-Grown School Feeding programme and support climate-smart agriculture and sustainable school meals by connecting schools with local farmers in Malawi’s Chikwawa District.

MANDALAY, Myanmar – Within 48 hours of the powerful earthquake that struck central Myanmar on Friday afternoon, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) began emergency food distributions to affected communities. WFP has so far reached over 24,000 earthquake survivors in four areas, Mandalay, Naypyitaw, Sagaing and Shan, and is scaling up efforts to assist 850,000 affected people.

CONAKRY, Guinea - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a US$4 million contribution from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to develop a rice value chain, enabling communities to access nutritious food, become self-sufficient and resilient to weather-related shocks in Guinea.

ROME – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today that 58 million people risk losing life-saving assistance in the agency’s 28 most critical crisis response operations unless new funding is received urgently.

2.5m more people have been pushed into acute food insecurity, as UN agencies grapple with increasing needs

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today announced that new data from the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis reveals the highest number ever recorded of acutely food insecure populations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

GAZA, Palestine – Hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are again at risk of severe hunger and malnutrition as humanitarian food stocks in the Strip dwindle and borders remain closed to aid. Meanwhile, the expansion of military activity in Gaza is severely disrupting food assistance operations and putting the lives of aid workers at risk every day.

ROME – As global leaders and experts convene in Paris for the fourth Nutrition for Growth Summit, the UN World Food Programme is calling for greater focus and action to prevent wasting - the deadliest form of malnutrition - before its life-threatening impacts are felt in children. Action before malnutrition takes hold is crucial.

DAKAR – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today announced Christian Abégan, -renowned culinary expert, author and TV Host, as its new Chef Advocate for food security, nutrition and sustainable food systems in West and Central Africa.

LUANDA, Angola — The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a contribution of US$ 2 million from the Government of Japan to support over 27,000 people affected by drought in southern Angola. This funding will enhance the food and water security while strengthening the resilience of smallholder farmers through Japanese agricultural technology innovations.

BUJUMBURA, Burundi – The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has rapidly mobilized additional assistance in Burundi to support the large influx of families fleeing violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The sharp increase in refugees in need of aid has placed a significant strain on WFP food assistance programmes in Burundi.

GAZA, Palestine – The following are the latest updates on food security and WFP operations in Gaza and the West Bank.

YANGON, Myanmar – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that more than one million people in Myanmar will be cut off from WFP’s lifesaving food assistance starting in April due to critical funding shortfalls. These cuts come just as increased conflict, displacement and access restrictions are already sharply driving up food aid needs.

LILONGWE, Malawi – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and with support from the Government of Iceland, has expanded the Home-Grown School Meals (HGSM) programme to Nkhotakota district, Malawi.

CAIRO, Egypt – The Egyptian Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade (MOSIT), the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP), and the National Nutrition Institute (NNI), with support from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Egypt, have launched today the National Flour Fortification Programme.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and Japan will provide locally sourced school meals to close to 18,000 children across 80 schools in the Ouest department in 2025 and 2026, ensuring essential nutritional support and enhancing education.

DAKAR, Senegal – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warns that life-saving food and nutrition assistance in Central Sahel and Nigeria will halt in April 2025 without urgent funding. This warning comes as the lean season - the period between harvests when hunger peaks - is anticipated to arrive earlier than usual this year across the Sahel region. Millions, including refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), still rely on WFP’s food assistance for survival.

DHAKA, Bangladesh– The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warns of a critical funding shortfall for its emergency response operations in Bangladesh, jeopardizing food assistance for over one million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.