• 36 million currently hungry
• Figure may rise to 52 million before harvests
By Abdullahi Lukman
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a stark warning that hunger levels in West and Central Africa have reached record highs, with over 36 million people currently struggling to access food—a figure that could soar to 52 million during the upcoming lean season between harvests.
In a statement released Friday, the WFP cited a combination of persistent conflict, mass displacement, worsening economic conditions, and repeated extreme weather events as key drivers of the growing food crisis in the region.
The agency warned that without immediate intervention, millions face emergency levels of hunger.
Compounding the crisis are recent global aid cutbacks. The WFP noted a 40 percent reduction in its 2025 budget and pointed to suspended aid programs from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), halted by President Donald Trump following his return to office.
Additional funding cuts from other Western donors have further strained relief efforts.
As a result, the WFP announced it may be forced to lay off 25 to 30 percent of its global workforce.
Without urgent funding, food assistance to five million people could be completely halted.
“We are at a tipping point and millions of lives are at stake,” said Margot van der Velden, WFP’s regional director for West and Central Africa.
“Without immediate funding, WFP will be forced to scale down even further—both in the number of people reached and the size of food rations distributed.”
