Photo: WFP/Marco Frattini

WHEN WAR HITS, HUNGER STRIKES HARDER

EMERGENCY: Conflict has pushed 77 million innocent civilians to the most extreme levels of hunger imaginable. We urgently need your help to send lifesaving food.

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There's no time to wait

Conflict forces families from their homes, destroys economies, ruins infrastructure and makes food nearly impossible to find or afford. As the recipient of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, we’re there before, during and after upheaval to help families survive and recover.

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60%

of the world’s hungriest people live in conflict zones

10/13

of the world’s worst food crises are driven by conflict

70%

of WFP's budget is spent on conflict-affected countries

How Conflict Drives Hunger

1 2 3

1. Destabilization
2. Displacement
3. Malnutrition

1. Destabilization

When violence erupts, it sends shock waves through the region. Infrastructure is destroyed, imports cease, inflation rates rise, currency devalues, roads are cut off and jobs are lost. All of this makes it exceedingly difficult for people to find enough food.

Where there is conflict there is hunger, and where there is hunger there is often conflict.

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2. Displacement

Next, when it’s no longer safe at home and people can’t make ends meet, many of them have no choice but to leave – often bringing only what they can carry. Without resources, finding food in isolated, often bleak environments, becomes even harder.

Today, conflict, violence and persecution have driven more than 70.8 million people away from their homes, including 41.3 million internally displaced persons and 25.9 million refugees.

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3. Malnutrition

Finally, the combination of destabilization and displacement almost inevitably leads to hunger, which is especially cruel to children. A child living in a country ravaged by violence is more than twice as likely to be malnourished and to be out of school.

An estimated 80 percent of global humanitarian needs are in areas facing violent conflict.

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We're making a difference

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) faces conflict head-on and goes where others can’t. With your support, we reach the most vulnerable people in the world.

Photo: WFP/Mohammed Awadh

Food Aid

WFP provides lifesaving food and specialized nutrition to the most desperate people in conflict zones. From dried grains and beans to fortified powders and high-energy biscuits, we deliver the right food at the right time.

24 billion

meals were served last year

17 million

people received specialized foods to prevent or treat malnutrition

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Photo: WFP/Saikat Mojumder

Cash & Vouchers

Sometimes food is still available during conflict but it’s unaffordable because of inflation. That’s when WFP provides cash-based assistance in the form of food vouchers or debit cards so families can buy food locally.

$2.1 billion

was distributed last year in cash and vouchers

different food items are typically available for purchase

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Photo: WFP/Michael Tewelde

School Meals

In conflict, children are often pulled out of school to help earn money, work around the house or care for younger siblings. Our school meals help keep them in class and provide critical calories they can depend on.

17 million

children received school meals, snacks or take-home rations in 2019

60%

of all WFP beneficiaries are children

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Photo: WFP/Matteo Cosorich

Rebuilding

WFP combines short- and long-term assistance to build back people’s self-reliance. We rehabilitate land, train small-scale farmers, teach job skills and build vital infrastructure like bridges and roads.

$610 million

was invested in resilience-building activities last year

50,000

community assets were constructed or repaired in 2019

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Yemen

Yemen is the world’s most dire hunger crisis. Over 70% of the population – 20 million people – don’t know where their next meal is coming from. This includes 2 million children who require treatment for the most severe malnutrition, of which 360,000 are at risk of dying without treatment. WFP works day and night to feed 12 million Yemenis every month.

Source: Yemen Hub Photo: WFP/Annabel Symington

Syria

Nine years of war have pushed most Syrians to extreme levels of poverty and hunger. More than 6 million people are displaced inside the country and another 5.6 million have fled to neighboring countries. Syrian children have borne the brunt of the war’s effects, forcing millions of them out of school. WFP served 9 million Syrians last year.

Source: Syria Hub Photo: WFP/Marwa Awad

Nigeria

Conflict and poverty are wreaking havoc in Nigeria. It houses more extremely poor people than any other country in the world at 90 million with another 10 million on the horizon due to fallout from COVID-19. Over 8.6 million people are food insecure, including 300,000 children who would die without nutrition assistance. Three million people are entirely dependent on WFP for their food.

Source: Nigeria Hub Photo: WFP/Amadou Baraze

The DRC

The DRC is on track to surpass Yemen as the world's worst hunger crisis. Decades of civil war have left millions dead or displaced. The number of severely hungry people has skyrocketed from 13M last year to nearly 22M today, due to a toxic mix of conflict, displacement, disease, economic decline, natural disasters and COVID-19. WFP is trying to reach 9 million of the hungriest people this year.

Source: DRC Hub Photo: WFP/Tara Crossley

South Sudan

Record-high levels of hunger across South Sudan are caused by a deadly combination of man-made conflict and erratic weather. Despite a recent peace agreement, violence continues to grow, forcing families from their homes, jobs and support systems. Since 2015, there have been at least 30 pockets of famine-like conditions. WFP's aid has prevented famine from sweeping across the entire country — but nearly 7 million people, half the population, are still severely food insecure.

Source: South Sudan Hub Photo: WFP/Gabriela Vivacqua

The Sahel

The Central Sahel - comprised of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger - is on the verge of catastrophe. People face a deadly combination of conflict and climate change. More than 7 million don’t know when they’ll eat next and that could double before the end of the year. The number of internally displaced people has risen from 70,000 to nearly 1.6M in less than a year, making it the fastest-growing IDP crisis globally. We're working to assist 5 million of them.

Source: The Sahel Hub