The head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Monday of a worsening global hunger crisis, saying 318 million people worldwide are now facing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse as funding shortages, conflict and climate shocks threaten lifesaving aid.
In a statement, WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said hundreds of thousands of people are already living in famine-like conditions, driven by a combination of violent conflict, extreme weather and economic shocks that continue to disrupt food systems and humanitarian access.
“Barely two weeks into the new year, the world is already confronting the risk of a dangerous and deepening global hunger crisis,” McCain said, warning that needs are rising faster than resources.
The warning comes as humanitarian agencies grapple with shrinking budgets and increasingly complex operating environments, which risk cutting off millions from emergency food assistance and undermining regional stability.
According to WFP estimates, current funding projections amount to less than half of the $13 billion required to reach around 110 million of the world’s most vulnerable people this year, forcing the agency to make difficult decisions about where and how it can respond.
McCain said the funding gap threatens to reverse hard-won gains in hunger prevention and famine response, particularly in conflict-affected regions and climate-stressed countries where communities are already struggling to cope.
Despite the challenges, she said WFP remains committed to scaling up assistance and mobilising support to reach those most in need.
“WFP’s resolve remains unshaken,” McCain said. “We will seize every opportunity to rally the support and resources needed to reach those who depend on us for their survival.”
McCain outlined the agency’s priorities for 2026 during a meeting with WFP staff at its Rome headquarters, highlighting efforts to broaden the organisation’s funding base, deploy new technologies and strengthen support for frontline teams working in dangerous and unstable environments.
She stressed the importance of WFP’s recently approved four-year Strategic Plan, which aims to maximise impact, improve efficiency and adapt humanitarian responses to increasingly complex crises.
“WFP has proven time and again that early, strategic and innovative solutions can halt famine, stabilise communities, address the drivers of migration and enable families to recover,” she said, pointing to the agency’s track record in emergency response and resilience-building.
However, McCain warned that rising insecurity and access constraints are making it harder and more dangerous for humanitarian workers to deliver aid, increasing the risk that millions could be left without assistance at a time of growing need.
She said reaching the most vulnerable people more quickly, scaling up impact and improving efficiency are more critical than ever as global hunger continues to rise.
According to WFP, conflict remains the leading driver of acute hunger, compounded by climate extremes such as droughts, floods and heatwaves, as well as economic pressures including inflation, debt distress and currency depreciation in low-income countries.
McCain, who travels frequently to humanitarian hotspots, said the scale and complexity of today’s crises require faster and more decisive action from governments and international partners.
“Today’s crises require swift, strategic and decisive action,” she said. “I call on world leaders to step in earlier during humanitarian emergencies, rid our world of man-made famines, and most importantly, end these devastating conflicts which drive hunger and desperation.”
The WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation focused on hunger, providing food assistance to people affected by conflict, disasters and climate shocks. It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its efforts to combat hunger and prevent the use of food as a weapon of war.
As needs continue to rise, the agency has warned that without urgent and sustained funding, it will be forced to reduce rations, cut programmes or scale back operations in some of the world’s most fragile settings, deepening an already severe global food crisis.
