The world’s largest initiative combating hunger in the world particularly in Afghanistan, the WFP is
confronting an unprecedented funding crisis, with its Executive Director Cindy McCain sounding the
alarm the other day, warning that they are in a desperate situation and could exhaust their funds as
early as October
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has warned that its programs lack sufficient funds to operate beyond October. According to WFP, the situation in Afghanistan is particularly dire. The organization has warned that it will stop operation if sufficient fund is not provided to its program. The world’s largest initiative combating hunger in the world particularly in Afghani stan, the WFP is confronting an unprecedented funding crisis, with its Executive Director Cindy McCain sounding the alarm the other day, warning that they are in a desperate situation and could exhaust their funds as early as October. In an interview with ABC, McCain pointed to a confluence of factors contributing to the funding shortfall, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the escalating impact of climate change, and persistent conflicts worldwide. She also cited the rising cost of operations as a significant challenge. “It’s a combination of things — it’s COVID, it’s climate change, it’s conflict, and also the cost of doing business,” McCain explained. “These factors, coupled with a global weariness of foreign aid, have created a precarious situation.” McCain emphasized that the ones most affected by this funding crisis are those least able to endure it. In September, the World Food Program disclosed that it has been struggling to meet the growing global demand for food assistance, with contributions decreasing for the first time while needs continue to rise. Consequently, the organization has been forced to implement “significant cuts in hotspots such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Jordan, Palestine, South Sudan, Somalia, and Syria.” The situation in Afghanistan is particularly dire, with McCain warning that the program lacks sufficient funds to operate beyond October. The WFP has been a lifeline for vulnerable populations in Afghanistan since the Islamic Emirate’s takeover in 2021. McCain emphasized the urgency of the matter, stating that if they had to pull out, starvation and famine were going to be the result of this.” This comes amid of increasing poverty and unemployment in Afghanistan. It is not the first time WFP has warned of a shortage of sufficient funds to provide assistance to vulnerable people in the world particularly in Afghanistan. The organization has recently raised the concern several times and asked the international partners to fund the program so that they can go and continue their operation beyond October this year. According to the World Food Program, 10 million Afghans have been deprived of humanitarian assistance this year. The organization earlier indicated that it need one billion dollars to assist 21 million people, and over 20 million Afghans are at risk of starvation. It is worth mentioning that the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned in its most recent report about the decline and discontinuance of health services for those in need in Afghanistan due to budget constraints. Mohammad Daud
