poverty
& the Hunger Trap
Poverty is always at the core of severe hunger and exacerbated by factors like rising food costs, outbreaks of conflict and sudden climate shocks. We provide food to families experiencing the most extreme levels of poverty to help them survive, and we deploy long-term solutions so they can overcome hardships in the future.
Poverty Around the World
People in extreme poverty live on less than $2.15 per day.
1 in 12 people are living in
extreme poverty.
Just over half of all people in extreme poverty live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Break The Cycle
of Poverty and Hunger
Poverty is the root cause of suffering for millions of people, from life-threatening malnutrition to social exclusion. Poverty traps families in debilitating cycles of disadvantage as they are cut off from educational opportunities, economic resources, healthcare and the food they need to fuel their bodies.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) serves people who are experiencing the most severe levels of hunger and poverty. Through lifesaving food and long-term programming, we build pathways for millions across the globe to break the cycle of poverty, hunger and inequality.
How Extreme Poverty Breeds Extreme Hunger
WFP Delivers Food to the Poorest Countries
Haiti
Haiti is the poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean. One-quarter of Haiti’s population lives in extreme poverty. Political upheaval, relentless natural disasters, and the economic fallout of COVID-19 have exacerbated this poverty and pushed more Haitians into hunger. Half of the population does not have enough food to eat. WFP is delivering essential emergency food aid to people in Haiti.
Afghanistan
Decades of conflict, climate shocks and severe economic decline have plunged millions of Afghans into poverty and hunger. Today, over half of Afghanistan’s population lives below the poverty line. The country continues to teeter on the edge of economic collapse with the local currency at an all-time low and food prices on the rise. WFP reaching vulnerable families across the country with lifesaving food.
Nigeria
70% of Nigeria’s population lives below the poverty line. This persistent poverty is concentrated in the northeast and northwest. In the northeast, 14 years of conflict have displaced millions of people from their homes and pushed them into acute levels of hunger. WFP is providing vital food aid to displaced people living in camps.
Guatemala
Guatemala is one of the most unequal countries in Latin America. Two-thirds of the population live in extreme poverty. Half the population cannot afford a basic food basket. WFP helps identify the most vulnerable populations and partners with the government provide food assistance.
The Philippines
20 million Filipinos – roughly one-fifth of the population – live below the poverty threshold. This is despite the government’s efforts to strengthen social protection systems and build communities’ resilience to economic shocks. Compounding crises including conflict and climate-related disasters like Typhoon Rai continue to drive people into poverty and hunger. WFP is working with the government to provide food and strengthen resilience among poor communities.
Climate Change
More than 80% of the world’s poorest people live in disaster-prone countries – they bear the brunt of floods, droughts and hurricanes. See how poverty and climate change are linked.
Food Waste
In countries where hunger is rampant, farmers often lose much of their crops during growth, harvest and storage. See how farmers living in poverty face an uphill climb in living off the land.
WFP Helps Lift People Out of Poverty and Hunger
The U.N. World Food Programme provides marginalized communities with solutions to break the cycle of generational poverty.
Cash, e-money and value vouchers restore people’s purchasing power while stimulating local markets, leveling the playing field for poor families.
From entrepreneurship and digital skills to sustainable agriculture training, WFP provides opportunities to learn new skills and boost their incomes.
WFP’s school meals foster healthy childhoods so young boys and girls can grow up, learn essential skills, enter the workforce and build prosperous lives.
WFP helps farmers increase their productivity and income opportunities by connecting them to local markets and providing them with tools, training and financing.
Send meals to families
Help us send meals to families living in extreme poverty across the globe. Your gift could save a life.