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Famine

Displaced families wait for water in Gaza

By the time famine is declared, it’s too late: Tens of thousands of people are already dying of starvation. We can fight back famine and prevent it in the future.

Famine Alert

Famine is confirmed in parts of Gaza and Sudan. This is the first time on record there are two famines happening at the same time.

Gaza

FAMINE CONFIRMED:
Famine has been confirmed in parts of Gaza.

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Sudan

FAMINE CONFIRMED:
Famine has been confirmed in parts of Sudan.

Learn More

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What is Famine?

Famine is the deadliest form of hunger and is confirmed in an area when all of these conditions are met:

  • 20% of households face extreme food shortages
  • 30% of children suffer acute malnutrition
  • 2 out of 10,000 people are dying daily from starvation

What Causes Famine?

Conflict is the #1 cause of famine.

Conflict disrupts and destroys food systems such as farms and markets. It also displaces people and creates a hostile environment, making it difficult and dangerous to find food. Conflict is the cause of the current famines in parts of Gaza and Sudan.

Extreme climate leads to famine.

When extreme climate events such as droughts or floods become prolonged, it makes it difficult for farms and communities to recover. These conditions can quickly turn widespread hunger into famine.

How WFP Fights Famine

The World Food Programme is there before, during and after famine strikes to send a lifeline and provide food.

WFP provides food in Nepal after flood

Anticipate

Before famine strikes, WFP uses its presence in the field, innovation and technology to identify, anticipate and warn the world of the threat of famine.

WFP Helicopter delivers food aid to Indonesia after tsunami

Assist

At every stage of famine, WFP harnesses its logistics and supply chain capabilities to move huge quantities of food to where they’re most needed.

Avert

To avert the threat of famine, WFP works around the clock to provide food, nutrition and cash-based assistance to the world’s most vulnerable people.

Six Decades of Fighting Famine

Late 1960s
Nigeria
Nigeria
WFP has been at the forefront of global famine response since it was founded over 60 years ago. In the wake of Nigeria’s civil war, the Nigerian government requested WFP and FAO’s assistance to support vulnerable groups affected by the conflict. WFP distributed corn and wheat flour, dried skim milk, butter, oil, dried fish and eggs.
1970s
Western Sahel
Western Sahel
When famine hit the western Sahel in the early 1970s, WFP led the first airdrop of emergency humanitarian relief from the UN and used every tool at its disposal to assist those in need. From cars and camels to roads and rivers, WFP deployed its supply chain to distribute more than 57,000 metric tons of food to Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Mali and Chad.
1984
Ethiopia
Ethiopia
In 1984, Ethiopia suffered its worst famine in 100 years and sparked a global response with events like Live Aid and Band Aid. WFP delivered 2M tons of food over two years.
1989
Southern Sudan
Southern Sudan
In 1989, “Operation Lifeline Sudan” was launched by a group of UN agencies and 40 non-governmental organizations in response to the outbreak of civil war that threatened millions of lives. WFP staged the biggest humanitarian airdrop in history with 20 cargo aircraft.
1995
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)
The DPRK faced famine in 1995 after years of flooding destroyed crops and infrastructure. WFP began shipping food aid and provided relief assistance to hospitals, orphanages and kindergartens to reach the most vulnerable children.
2011
Somalia
Somalia
Famine was triggered in Somalia in 2011 by drought and intensified conflict. Within one year, WFP fed 1.5M people as part of a broad Horn of Africa emergency response plan. “Somalia is probably the most dangerous environment in which we are operating today, but people are dying,” said former WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran.
2017
Southern Sudan
Southern Sudan
Famine was declared in parts of South Sudan in February 2017. Nearly 80,000 people faced Famine conditions in parts of Unity State, and another 1 million people were on the brink of starvation. By then, three years of conflict had devastated livelihoods. WFP continued to scale up its operations in South Sudan and deliver urgent food to people in areas affected by famine.

Preventing Famine is a Choice

You Can Help Fight Back Famine

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