The World Food Programme (WFP) on Wednesday unveiled the WFP Finance Strategy 2027 in Nairobi to address the global food security crisis.
During the launch, World Food Programme chief economist Arif Husain highlighted that there has been a growing humanitarian funding crisis. He called for more action from donors to assist in bridging this gap.
Arif questions why the gap between funding and humanitarian needs could be growing as this further makes the task of offering support in addressing hunger difficult.
He disclosed that in 2020, WFP aided 116 million individuals, gaining even more recognition after supporting 128 million individuals in 2021, and ultimately reaching 160 million people in 2022. However, he emphasizes that despite these extensive efforts, their market share is continuously decreasing, indicating a growing number of people experiencing food insecurity and hunger that surpasses WFP’s capacity to assist them.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said that achieving global food security requires collective and intensified efforts in first focusing on addressing the climate change menace.
Musalia added that Kenya is on the frontline rallying African voices in a bold move of pushing for meeting commitments by other states since climate change is universal as much as its impacts are severe in various regions that have to be supported in response.
World Food Programme chief economist Arif Husain has, however, highlighted that there has been cited a growing humanitarian funding crisis thus calling for more action from donors in assisting in bridging this gap.
“Today we are looking at best at about $10 billion which means that our funding gap is almost 60%. That means that we have to cut rations in more than half of our countries because we simply cannot afford to provide what people need. This is in Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, and the DRC,” said Arif Husain of WFP.
This increase in food insecurity he cites is only able to be dealt with through more funding of WFP where he cites 2022 as a groundbreaking year in terms of support attained having received $14.1 billion. Support that enabled assistance of 160 million people and allowed for the stabilizing of hunger levels in the world.
The Prime Cabinet emphasized that the complexities of global challenges caused by climate change and economic disruptions should inspire organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP) to take the lead. He stressed the importance of not only being responders but also drivers of the necessary change in the world.
“We all know that conflict, economic shocks, climate extremes, and soaring fertilizer prices are combining to create a food crisis of unprecedented proportions. Stand tall and give the world some respite from unproductive contests, be they war or Climate Change truancy,” Mudavadi said.
