News releases

NEW YORK – The UN World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director, David Beasley, addressed the United Nations Security Council today on the impact of the war in Ukraine on global food security. Here are selected highlights from his remarks:

SUVA, Fiji: As supply chains remain disrupted across the Pacific region impacting the movement of critical supplies, on 25 March the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) - on behalf of WHO, UNFPA, UNDP, UN in Pacific and the Government of New Zealand - transported over 5000 kg of COVID-19 medical cargo, including oxygen concentrators and other vital supplies to Vanuatu.

ADDIS ABABA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that its life-saving food assistance operations in northern Ethiopia are about to grind to a halt because intense fighting has blocked the passage of fuel and food.

Brindisi, Italy – Following the recent G20 side event co-hosted by the Italian Government and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) focusing on the role of logistics in current and future health emergencies, WFP and the World Health Organization (WHO) are launching INITIATE2, a joint project to bring together emergency actors, research and academic institutions, and international and national partners to promote knowledge sharing and skills transfer for improved emergency response to health crises.

ADDIS ABABA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has resumed its operations in the Tigray region of Ethiopia after fighting halted the emergency response last week. However serious challenges are threatening the entire humanitarian response in the region.

Dili– A United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) chartered flight carrying Sinovac vaccines from Beijing arrived today in Dili. The vaccinations were donated by the Chinese Government in support of the COVID-19 response in Timor-Leste.

ROME / SINGAPORE – Singapore Airlines (SIA) and the Temasek Foundation are partnering with the World Food Programme (WFP) to support the global COVID-19 response to help transport essential medical supplies and other health and humanitarian items by air to points of need around the world.

Paletwa, MYANMAR – This week the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has commenced distribution of a newly-arrived tranche of 165 tons of emergency food and nutrition assistance for communities affected by conflict in Paletwa Town in remote southern Chin State, which has been largely cut off from regular trade and supply routes for many months.

ROME – A new report published today shows that people in some 25 countries are set to face devastating levels of hunger in coming months due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. While the greatest concentration of need is in Africa, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and in the Middle East and Asia – including middle-income countries - are also being ravaged by crippling levels of food insecurity, according to the Early Warning Analysis of Acute Food Security Hotspots, compiled by the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

ROME – With much of the world’s commercial transport systems, particularly airlines, grounded by COVID-19, WFP - the world’s largest humanitarian organization fighting hunger and a global leader in logistics – has stepped in to move passengers and huge volumes of health and other supplies needed in the fight against the pandemic.

KHARTOUM - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Sudan hosted a three-day event on post-harvest losses, to explore ways of reducing food losses through approaches such as hermetic storage bags that were showcased at the event.

MOMBASA, KENYA – A contribution of 53 KAMAZ trucks and 10 trailers, donated by the government of the Russian Federation to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), have been handed over today in the port city of Mombasa. These trucks will be stationed in WFP’s Regional Logistics Hub in Kampala, Uganda and will assist its distributions and deliveries throughout the East and Central African region.

Dubai: The World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes the Russian Federation’s donation of 97 KAMAZ trucks and 30 trailers, which will greatly enhance its transport capacity. Today’s handover marks another important milestone in the historic and long-lasting partnership between the Russian Federation and WFP in the area of logistics technology. This recent donation will help boost the operational performance of three of WFP Regional Fleet Hubs, namely in the UAE, Ghana and Uganda.

ROME – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is working tirelessly to meet the needs of millions of hungry Yemeni children, women and men who are threatened by a potential famine because of conflict. Our operational independence, impartiality and neutrality are paramount if we are to succeed and we need immediate and unrestrained access to the hungry so that we can reach those who need us most.

ROME – As a precautionary measure, the World Food Programme (WFP) has temporarily halted distribution worldwide of a fortified blended food from one of its suppliers as tests continue to establish whether it is linked to outbreaks of illness in East Africa.

Harare, 3 April, 2019 – The United States Government has provided an additional contribution of US$2.5 million to respond to emergency needs in Zimbabwe following Cyclone Idai. The contribution, provided through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Food for Peace, will support immediate food needs in the most affected areas of Manicaland Province.

HARARE – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is aware of a news article alleging shortages of Jet A-1 fuel in Zimbabwe that would impact negatively on relief efforts. The information in this article is outdated.

ROME – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has identified stocks of Super Cereal - a fortified blended food used in its food assistance programmes - that is too low in protein and fat to meet normal specifications. There is no issue with the safety of the product, which is provided by a commercial supplier.

Today, Palantir Technologies (Palantir) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced a five-year partnership aimed at helping WFP use its data to streamline the delivery of food and cash-based assistance in life-saving emergency relief operations around the world.

BANGUI –The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) that enables aid workers to deploy to reach tens of thousands of people in need in the Central African Republic (CAR) is at risk of shutting down due to a shortage of funds, the World Food Programme (WFP) that manages the service warned today.

LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) logistics base in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is preparing a shipment of 11,500 tonnes of sorghum for Djibouti and its subsequent distribution in humanitarian operations in East Africa.

JUBA - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has, for the first time since civil war broke out in South Sudan at the end of 2013, managed to send boats carrying humanitarian food assistance up the Sobat river, a major tributary of the White Nile.

LAS PALMAS –The Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Alfonso Dastis, visited the logistics base of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Las Palmas of Gran Canaria this morning. The logistics base, located in the port of Las Palmas, is a key hub for responding to humanitarian needs in West Africa.