UN Food Agency Cuts Aid Operations in West and Central Africa: How Funding Shortfalls Impact Vulnerable Communities

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced it will stop food and nutrition aid in several crisis-hit countries in West and Central Africa. The suspension is due to budget cuts from U.S. aid, severely affecting operations. This means millions might soon go without emergency assistance.

In many of these countries, food supplies could only last until September. Margot van der Velden, the WFP’s regional director, emphasized the urgent need for support. “Without help from our partners, our ability to respond is shrinking by the day,” she noted. The WFP is currently scaling back operations in Mauritania, Mali, and the Central African Republic, where food stocks are running dangerously low.

Since U.S. funding cuts began, the situation has become dire. Many aid agencies struggle to operate amid worsening crises in the Sahel region, a place already complicated by violent extremism. About 300,000 children in Nigeria face severe malnutrition, significantly raising the risk of death, according to WFP data.

The International Rescue Committee reported a shocking 178% increase in hospital admissions due to malnutrition in northern Nigeria recently. Many displaced people in Mali have gone without food supplies since June, the peak of the region’s low harvest season.

Chad and Niger are also feeling the impact, with Chad’s emergency supplies expected to last until year’s end and Niger facing a near-total suspension of aid by October. These countries are grappling with increasing violence from terrorist groups, leading to widespread deaths and displacements. The U.N. has pointed out these conditions are only worsened by climate-related challenges that hit harvests hard.

Experts warn that the suspension of WFP operations could heighten security challenges as hunger may lead to increased recruitment by extremist groups. Oluwole Ojewale, a security analyst, explained that in regions where aid operations are curtailed, the growth of hunger could intensify the already complex security situation. “Desperation can lead to extreme actions,” he cautioned, highlighting the links between poverty and violence.

According to WFP, they need $494 million to sustain operations into the latter half of 2025, but current funds are exhausted. As a result, they must prioritize their most vulnerable groups, particularly newly displaced refugees and children under five.

The consequences of these developments stretch beyond humanitarian concerns; they may pose threats to regional stability, increasing the likelihood of extremism and violence as people fight for survival.

For deeper insights about the challenges facing the world’s food supply, check out the World Food Programme’s updates.

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