WFP is prioritizing emergency action to prevent millions dying of hunger and help build and stabilize national food systems and related supply chains. We aim to support a record 171.5 million people in 2023, a significant increase on 128 million in 2021. We are diversifying our supplier base, promoting local food procurement and negotiating for humanitarian access and export waivers. Our operational needs are now at an all-time high of US$25.1 billion, with confirmed contributions of US$10 billion (or 40 percent). WFP has a plan for 2023 – the most ambitious in its history – but needs renewed and larger commitments to help deliver millions of people from disaster. We face a triple jeopardy: operational costs increase, the number of acutely hungry people rises to unprecedented levels and donors are squeezed by multiple demands. Without additional resources, WFP will be forced to continue drastic prioritization in many of the countries where we operate, including among humanitarian crises.
Since 2011, Feeding America has produced estimates of local food insecurity and food costs to improve our understanding of people and places facing hunger and inform decisions that will help ensure equitable access to nutritious food for all. Our interactive map, now updated with data as of 2021, features annual food insecurity estimates from our Map the Meal Gap study for the overall population and children in every county, congressional district, and state, as well as for every service area within our nationwide network of food banks. The map also features food insecurity estimates for the older adult and senior populations at the national and state level from Feeding America’s The State of Senior Hunger in America report series. To achieve our vision of an America where no one is hungry, we believe it is imperative to address disparities in food insecurity by race as well as place. To that end, we have updated our food insecurity estimates by race and ethnicity for available populations and geographies. Recognizing that sample sizes are smaller, and uncertainty is greater the more we disaggregate data, we believe that understanding even broad historical variations within and across populations and places is critical. Only then can we develop effective strategies to address the root causes of food insecurity and change the systems, policies and practices that put people at risk of hunger.
Right now, 41 million people are on the brink of famine. At least 1 million children in Afghanistan will suffer from severe acute malnutrition. In Yemen, 360,000 malnourished children could die without food aid. Here’s how your gift today can help: