UN Sounds Alarm As Hunger Crisis Deepens In West And Central Africa.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) issued a stark warning on Friday, highlighting an escalating hunger crisis in West and Central Africa, where food insecurity has reached unprecedented levels. Over 36 million people are currently unable to meet their basic food needs, a figure that could surge to 52 million during the lean season between harvests this summer, according to the agency.
The WFP attributed the crisis to a toxic combination of persistent conflict, widespread displacement, economic decline, and recurrent extreme weather events across the region. “Millions of people are being pushed towards emergency levels of hunger,” the agency stated, underscoring the severity of the situation.
Compounding the crisis is a severe funding shortfall. The WFP had previously described the situation as an “unprecedented crisis” in late March, following a 40% reduction in its funding for 2025. The recent halt of aid programmes by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), initiated by President Donald Trump upon his return to the White House, alongside cuts in aid spending by several Western nations, has further exacerbated the challenges.
The WFP announced at the end of April that it would be forced to cut its global workforce by 25 to 30% due to financial constraints. Without urgent funding, five million people risk losing vital assistance entirely, the agency warned.
Margot van der Velden, WFP’s regional director for West and Central Africa, described the situation as critical. “We are at a tipping point, and millions of lives are at stake,” she said. “Without immediate funding, WFP will be forced to scale down even further, both in the number of people reached and the size of food rations distributed.”
The WFP’s urgent plea for international support underscores the need for swift action to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in the region. As the lean season approaches, the agency is calling on global leaders to prioritise funding to protect the most vulnerable and prevent further deterioration of an already dire situation.
