WFP Still Caught In Funding Drought

The World Food Programme (WFP) says it urgently requires USD 150 million to continue delivering lifesaving assistance and strengthening the resilience of Ethiopia’s most vulnerable people over the next six months.

The UN agency says it has secured just USD196 million out of its total budgetary requirement of USD 346 million.

The latest call for more funding reflects the organization’s long-standing struggle with falling donations. In January, a source at the WFP told The Reporter the agency was preparing to lay off up to a third of its staff amid funding shortfalls.

In May, the WFP suspended life-saving nutrition treatment programs for 650,000 malnourished women and children citing a lack of funding.

“WFP has taken necessary steps to align our workforce with the current size and scope of our operations. These decisions are made with the utmost consideration for maintaining the quality of our humanitarian assistance to those in need,” said a WFP representative.

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The organization is supporting 3.5 million people through its programmes in Ethiopia.

This week, the Republic of Korea has provided a donation of 12,000 metric tons (MT) of rice to support WFP’s operations in Ethiopia.

The donation comes at a critical time and will help meet the urgent food needs of thousands displaced by conflict, drought, and floods. The supplies are earmarked for 400,000 vulnerable people in the Somali region and 330,000 refugees currently hosted in camps in the Somali and Afar regions.

Ethiopia hosts one of the largest refugee populations in Africa, sheltering over one million refugees—primarily from neighboring countries such as South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea.

WFP, in collaboration with the Refugees and Returnees Service and other international organizations, provides critical food and nutrition support to refugees in over 24 camps across Ethiopia.

The donation from the Republic of Korea comes at a crucial moment in WFP’s operations, as significant funding shortfalls have forced WFP to reduce rations to 60 percent to ensure all refugees receive assistance. Around 800,000 refugees have been receiving 60 percent of the standard food ration for over a year.

According to WFP, an estimated one million internally displaced people in the Somali region rely on external assistance for their food needs—many of whom were displaced during previous droughts and conflicts.

Despite ongoing efforts, refugees and vulnerable communities in Ethiopia continue to face major challenges due to declining humanitarian funding. The situation underscores the urgent need for sustained international support and innovative solutions to improve the lives of refugees and host communities in Ethiopia.