Rome – New York: Europe and the Arab World

The Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Cindy McCain, warned of a worsening global hunger crisis in 2026, emphasizing that more than 318 million people face acute levels of food insecurity. She stated that the WFP cannot end hunger alone, noting that today's crises require swift, strategic, and decisive action.

McCain called on world leaders to take urgent action to end man-made famines, increase humanitarian funding, and address the conflicts that are at the heart of escalating hunger worldwide.

A New Year and a Worsening Crisis

According to the WFP's 2026 Global Outlook report, 318 million people around the world face crisis levels or worse due to hunger. The program's early warning systems are issuing alerts about worsening food insecurity as a result of violent conflicts, extreme weather events, and severe economic contractions. Hundreds of thousands are already living in famine-like conditions.

Executive Director McCain stressed that just two weeks into the new year, the world faces the risk of a serious and worsening global hunger crisis. She added: “Our resolve at the World Food Programme is unwavering. We will seize every opportunity to mobilize the support and resources needed to reach those who depend on us for survival.”

Early solutions are essential to stop famine.

Cindy McKean said that the World Food Programme has proven, time and again, that early, strategic, and innovative solutions can stop famine, stabilize communities, address the drivers of migration, and enable families to recover.

The WFP Executive Director is set to launch the Programme’s 2026 efforts this week to address rising levels of extreme hunger at a time when humanitarian workers face escalating risks and severe resource constraints.

McKean is scheduled to address the WFP Global Team at a meeting at the organization’s headquarters in Rome to outline the top priorities for combating hunger in 2026, which include: expanding the Programme’s funding base, harnessing the transformative potential of new technologies, and ensuring that frontline teams have the support they need to operate safely and effectively. A statement from the program indicated that Ms. McCain will emphasize that reaching the most vulnerable populations quickly, scaling up impact, and achieving efficiency in increasingly complex environments is more critical than ever.

However, current projections suggest that the program will receive less than half of its required $13 billion budget to reach 110 million of the world's most vulnerable people, at a time when the operating environments are more complex and dangerous, making humanitarian work more difficult and risky. As a result, millions of people could be deprived of vital assistance, threatening lives and the stability of communities.