New York - Saba:
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Friday that it has begun reducing and suspending its humanitarian operations in several West and Central African countries due to funding cuts from the United States.
According to the WFP, this move will put millions of people in the region at risk of hunger amid escalating crises.
In a statement, the WFP warned that food supplies in affected countries may only last until September if no additional funding is secured. However, it cautioned that the suspension of aid will have an immediate impact on the most vulnerable groups, particularly in conflict zones and displacement camps.
Margot van der Velden, the WFP’s Regional Director, stated that the organization is "doing everything possible to prioritize life-saving activities, but without urgent support from partners, our ability to respond diminishes every day." She emphasized the need for sustainable funding to maintain food supplies and "keep hope alive."
The WFP noted that operations have already been halted in three countries—Mauritania, Mali, and the Central African Republic—where supplies are expected to run out within weeks. Four other countries face a similar fate unless the crisis is swiftly addressed.
West and Central Africa are grappling with multiple crises, including armed conflicts, drought, and rising prices. The reduction in international support poses a direct threat to millions of lives and further complicates humanitarian conditions in one of the world’s most fragile regions.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Friday that it has begun reducing and suspending its humanitarian operations in several West and Central African countries due to funding cuts from the United States.
According to the WFP, this move will put millions of people in the region at risk of hunger amid escalating crises.
In a statement, the WFP warned that food supplies in affected countries may only last until September if no additional funding is secured. However, it cautioned that the suspension of aid will have an immediate impact on the most vulnerable groups, particularly in conflict zones and displacement camps.
Margot van der Velden, the WFP’s Regional Director, stated that the organization is "doing everything possible to prioritize life-saving activities, but without urgent support from partners, our ability to respond diminishes every day." She emphasized the need for sustainable funding to maintain food supplies and "keep hope alive."
The WFP noted that operations have already been halted in three countries—Mauritania, Mali, and the Central African Republic—where supplies are expected to run out within weeks. Four other countries face a similar fate unless the crisis is swiftly addressed.
West and Central Africa are grappling with multiple crises, including armed conflicts, drought, and rising prices. The reduction in international support poses a direct threat to millions of lives and further complicates humanitarian conditions in one of the world’s most fragile regions.