News Stories
Six Reasons the Next Generation Needs Us to Solve Hunger
In the first part of our series of features on food insecurity, we established that HUNGER is the world's greatest Solvable Problem and listed six strategies that WFP is already using to solve it. In part two, we look at why solving hunger is critical for the next generation of the world's inhabitants.
Blog from Niger: Inroads Against Hunger and Drought
On the second day of her visit to the drought-hit country of Niger, WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin met families who are providing for themselves by working on projects that will protect them from hunger down the line. Travelling alongside UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, the WFP chief sent back this blog post to WFP about her trip.
Blog from Niger: Resilient Women in the Face of Hunger
One month after arriving at WFP, Executive Director Ertharin Cousin was out in the field in the west African nation of Niger, one of the countries most affected by the drought in the Sahel region. After the first day of her field trip, in which she traveled with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, the WFP chief sent back this account of her experiences.
Sahel Crisis: Country By Country
Hunger is on the rise across the Sahel region of West Africa, a massive swathe of territory that stretches across eight countries from Chad in the east to Senegal in the west. Here is a rundown of the situation in each country and a look at how we're responding to help the people who live there.
Tanzania: EU Naval Event Highlights WFP Operations in East Africa
The Dutch frigate NMNLS Van Amstel paid a visit to Dar es Salaam on 23 April, hosting a media briefing to highlight international efforts to fight piracy along the East African coast and the EU military support given to WFP’s humanitarian operations in the region.
Interactive Maps Make Logistics Planning Easier
Getting food assistance to hungry people in Chad and other remote areas of Africa's Sahel region is hard at the best of times. And with the region now hit by a major hunger crisis, the pressure on WFP's logistics team is higher than ever. Some new mapping technology is providing welcome support.
Preparing an IT force for emergency response
Emergency IT personnel are often among the first aid workers to respond in an emergency. It takes a unique set of skills to operate in such a fast-moving, high-pressure work environment. An upcoming disaster simulation organised by WFP will help emergency telecomms specialists prepare for the challenges and rigors that await them in the field.
Mali: WFP expands emergency operations to support families fleeing fighting
Fighting in northern Mali has forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.While some people have fled across borders into neighboring countries, others have had to move to other parts of the country.
WFP USA Supports the Senate Farm Bill
The Farm Bill, developed by the bipartisan leadership of the Senate Agriculture Committee, helps alleviate global hunger. It is a testament to the longstanding dedication of Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Roberts who have been steadfast in their commitment to addressing hunger. We strongly support the global hunger provisions in the bill.
WFP Helps Families Cope with the Arrival of Displaced People in South Kivu
Kalonge, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo - A mother of nine, Josiane Matchirucha has not been displaced but, still, she is among the most affected by population displacement. Five families have sought shelter in her home. Now, forty people live under her roof, eat at her table and share her toilet.
Sahel Crisis: Country by Country
Hunger is on the rise across the Sahel region of West Africa, a massive swathe of territory that stretches across eight countries from Chad in the east to Senegal in the west. Here is a rundown of the situation in each country and a look at how WFP is responding to help the people who live there.
Seven Questions for WFP's New Executive Director Ertharin Cousin
In her first week at the helm of the world's largest humanitarian aid agency, WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin fielded questions from staff about herself and her plans for the fight against hunger. Here are some of her answers.
Pakistan: Six Months after the Flood, Mir Zadi Is Fully Engrossed in Rebuilding her Life
The first convoy of trucks carrying food from the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to help people affected by the 2011 monsoon floods had arrived in early September 2011. Badin district in Sindh was the first to receive the assistance, that was consequently distributed to 2.5 million people in the worst affected districts in Sindh and Balochistan.
WFP Provides Internally-displaced People and Widows with Job Opportunities
A food-for-assets project in Eastern Afghanistan provides displaced people and widows the chance to earn a living - while helping to make the country green.
Courageous Sub-Office Team Evacuates Others, then Returns to Battle Zone
"The longest 90 minutes of our lives,” was how one WFP staffer described the experience of driving his children and colleagues to safety through the Sudanese town of Kadugli, as gun battles raged on a summer day last year. The same staffer returned just hours later to help distribute food to frightened inhabitants.
Philippines: Women Planting for their Community
After being displaced by conflict, the women of Manga have finally found a way to support their families. Together with other women from their community, they are helping rebuild their families' lives and re-establishing their own livelihoods.
Celebrating 20 Years of Saving Lives with ECHO
This year, the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Office (ECHO) marks its 20th anniversary. WFP joins in celebrating two decades of ECHO’s commitment to saving and protecting the lives of millions of people around the world.
How WFP Responds to Disasters [INFOGRAPHIC]
Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis. Want to know what happens when disaster strikes and WFP is called on to provide emergency food assistance? This infographic explains the key steps in WFP's response, from the first few hours of the emergency right through to the situation 3 months later.
Sahel Crisis: Eight Questions Answered
For the third time in a decade, drought in the Sahel region of Africa is threatening millions of people with hunger. But how do people survive in these situations and what are we doing to help them? Here are the answers to eight questions about the current hunger crisis in the Sahel and WFP's response to it.
Rick Leach Quoted in Harvard Political Review Story on Humanitarian Assistance
WFP USA President and CEO Rick Leach is quoted in a recent story in the Harvard Political Review that discusses the importance of humanitarian
Did you know?
925 million people will not get enough to eat this year – more than the populations of the United States, Canada and the European Union.
Six Reasons the Next Generation Needs Us to Solve Hunger
Blog from Niger: Inroads Against Hunger and Drought
Blog from Niger: Resilient Women in the Face of Hunger
Sahel Crisis: Country By Country
World Food Program USA Wins Five Communication Awards
