The Weeknd'sXO Humanitarian Fund
Goodwill Ambassador Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye's XO Humanitarian Fund has contributed and pledged $5 million to provide food and support to millions of people experiencing severe hunger across the globe.
The Weeknd raises $5 million to fight global hunger
Since the launch of the XO Humanitarian Fund in March 2022, WFP's Goodwill Ambassador The Weeknd has raised and pledged $5 million to provide food and support to millions of people experiencing hunger across the globe. The first allotment will go towards emergency food and nutrition programs in northern Ethiopia.
What is the UN World Food Programme?
The World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and supporting communities to be resilient, adapt to a changing climate and improve food systems.
4.4M metric tonnes of food distributed in 2021
120M+ people assisted in 2021
+120 countries and territories around the world
A Global Food Crisis
Since early 2022, the number of people experiencing extreme hunger was accelerating at an unprecedented pace. Rising costs of food and energy, the lingering economic impacts of the pandemic, and the ripple effects of conflict are pushing the most vulnerable to the limit.
How will the fund be used?
The goal with this fund is to provide immediate life-saving support to people who are on the brink of starvation. The partnership with The Weeknd will allow WFP to further expand its reach to those who need it most. The money will be used to assist families and communities on the frontlines of hunger, in countries like Ethiopia, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Yemen.
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Read moreEthiopia | WFP responds as the worst drought in a lifetime intensifies hunger. With each season drier than the last, families inch closer and closer to losing all. As the son of Ethiopian immigrants to Canada, The Weeknd feels strongly about giving back to his homeland. -
Learn moreUkraine | WFP is launching an emergency response operation to provide food assistance for people fleeing the conflict both inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries, following an official request from the country's Government. -
Read moreAfghanistan | The country is on the verge of economic collapse, winter is reaching its peak and almost 23 million people - more than half of the population - do not know where their next meal will come from. Afghan families have been pushed to the limit with no food, jobs or income. -
Read Ahed's storyYemen | In the north of Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, off a busy market street, there is a health centre supported by WFP. Every day, mothers and children like Ahed fill the corridors and crowd into two small rooms dedicated to treating cases of malnutrition.
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