Sunday May 25, 2025
Dakar, Senegal

The World Food Programme (WFP) is “sounding the alarm” about “worsening hunger in West and Central Africa as needs reach record levels”, according to a press release issued on Friday 09 May 2025.
According to the UN humanitarian agency, more than 36 million people are “struggling to meet their food needs”. This figure could rise to 52 million people this summer during the lean season, between two harvests, “including nearly three million in emergency situations”, according to the WFP.
“Persistent conflict, population displacement, a deteriorating economic situation and recurrent extreme weather conditions in West and Central Africa are pushing millions of people towards emergency levels of hunger,” the document states.
At the end of March, the UN agency spoke of an “unprecedented crisis” due to a 40% cut in its funding for the year 2025.
In addition to the U.S. government’s decision to halt aid programs under the aegis of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), several Western countries have slashed their spending in this area.

At the end of April, the WFP announced that it would have to reduce its workforce by 25 to 30% worldwide.
“Five million people risk being deprived of vital food assistance if urgent funding is not received,” WFP warned.
“We are at a decisive moment when millions of lives are at stake,” said Margot van der Velden, WFP Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “Without immediate funding, the WFP will be forced to further reduce the number of people to feed and the size of food rations to distribute,” she noted.

Humaniterre with AFP