Programs: Emergencies
Hunger is often the first emergency when catastrophe strikes. That’s why the United Nations World Food Programme is among the first humanitarian organizations on the ground to help hungry families in crisis.
President Truman said of Europe, “Their most urgent need is food. If the peace should be lost because we failed to share our food with hungry people, there would be no more tragic example in all history of a peace needlessly lost.”
General MacArthur ordered an extensive child feeding program for Japan, including school meals. It would prove to be one of MacArthur's most important orders, even if it was lesser known.
The Central Sahel is in crisis, yet "nobody is truly interested and everyone just stands by watching tragedy develop in front of our eyes,” says WFP's Margot van der Velden.
Disasters disproportionately affect the world's poorest people and communities, significantly increasing hunger, malnutrition and their exposure to risk. Here are 14 key facts on the link between disasters and hunger.
Maria's family invested all their money in corn crops, then watched them wither away from drought. Now they're struggling to put food on the table and praying for rain.
The hunger season can last for months, and it’s a particularly challenging time for subsistence farmers and their families, who solely rely on what they grow.
Imagine waking up to a wave of water running across your floor and hearing your six children cry out in fear. This is what happened to Agan in Ethiopia when floods washed away everything she had.
Our worst fears are coming true. Life-threatening hunger is up, chronic hunger is up and extreme poverty is up. Millions are on the verge of famine due to conflict. How will we respond?
Torrential rains and flash floods from Cyclone Seroja hit the Timor-Leste in early April, leaving crops destroyed in six municipalities. WFP and its partners distributed life-saving relief materials to families affected by the floods within 48 hours.
Somalia is once again on the brink of famine: A severe drought, rising food prices and violence has pushed the country to the edge.
mVAM technology enables the U.N. World Food Programme to monitor and respond to changes in food security worldwide.