Page Text: Read more about hunger
In a world of plenty, where enough food is produced to feed everyone on the planet, hunger should be a thing of the past. However, conflict, climate change, disasters, inequality and – most recently – the COVID-19 pandemic mean one in nine people globally is still going to bed hungry and famine looms for millions.
Powered by the passion, dedication and professionalism of our 20,000 staff worldwide, the World Food Programme (WFP) works in 117 countries and territories to bring life-saving food to people displaced by conflict and made destitute by disasters, and help individuals and communities find life-changing solutions to the multiple challenges they face in building better futures.
We work to enhance nutrition in women and children, support smallholder farmers in improving productivity and reducing losses, help countries and communities prepare for and cope with climate-related shocks, and boost human capital through school feeding programmes.
In conflict situations, we bring relief to exhausted populations and use food assistance to build pathways to peace and stability – work for which WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
We are the largest Humanitarian Organization
For millions of people worldwide, WFP assistance is what makes the difference between life and death. Our timely intervention at times of heightened crisis has helped pull people back from the brink of starvation. Our work to build resilience, adapt to a changing climate, promote good nutrition and improve food systems is helping lay the foundations for a more prosperous future for millions.
Executive Director David Beasley. Photo: WFP/Michael Dakwa
A member of the UN family, WFP is governed by an Executive Board consisting of 36 Member States, which provides intergovernmental support, direction and supervision of WFP’s activities. The organization is headed by an Executive Director, who is appointed jointly by the UN Secretary-General and the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.