WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Nearly 14 million people could face severe hunger by the end of the year, the World Food Program warned on Wednesday, as slashed humanitarian funding threatens six of its most critical operations.
Programs in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan are already facing major disruptions, which will only get worse.
'Every ration cut means a child goes to bed hungry, a mother skips a meal, or a family loses the support they need to survive,' said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain.
The crisis is happening as global hunger reaches record highs, with 319 million people facing acute food insecurity, including 44 million at emergency level. Famine has also taken hold in Sudan and the Gaza Strip.
WFP expects to receive 40 percent less funding this year, resulting in a projected budget of $6.4 billion, down from $10 billion in 2024.
'We are at risk of losing decades of progress in the fight against hunger,' said McCain.
'Even hard-won gains in the Sahel region, where 500,000 people have been lifted out of aid dependence with integrated food assistance and resilience programs, could soon be wiped out without continued support.'
The cuts could push 13.7 million people who receive WFP food assistance from crisis to emergency levels of hunger - a one-third increase, the agency said in a new report.
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