Social protection

The World Food Programme (WFP) aims to provide food and nutrition assistance to 123 million people in 2025, which is expected to be a year of unrelenting humanitarian needs driven by escalating conflicts and climate and economic shocks.

National social protection systems reach billions of people across the globe. Investing in strengthening those systems can support millions of hungry and malnourished people, as well as those at risk of shocks and crisis whom we do not reach directly. 

Helping governments to scale up and enhance social protection is a key pathway towards a zero-hunger world. WFP is working with governments and partners towards ensuring that, by 2030, people have substantially increased access to national social protection systems. These systems can safeguard and foster people’s ability to meet their food security, nutrition and other essential needs, and to manage the risks and shocks they face.  

We support governments in designing and implementing inclusive social protection programmes, considering people’s needs and capacities, and their vulnerabilities and inequalities.  

WFP has a long history of supporting the design and delivery of nationally led social protection, providing technical advice and implementing programmes on the behalf of governments. In addition, WFP’s own programmes are often complementary to national social protection objectives.  WFP offers expertise across all elements of policy and programme design and delivery.