Global hunger crisis to worsen in 2025 as wealthy nations cut aid, warns UN
The United Nations warns that the global hunger crisis will intensify in 2025, with as many as 117 million people left without food assistance, due to reduced donations from wealthy nations.
Citing Reuters, the UN projects that it will only be able to secure funds for roughly 60% of the estimated 307 million people requiring humanitarian aid in 2025. This shortfall comes amidst a significant decline in contributions from major donors, including the United States, Germany, and the European Commission, which provided 58% of the $170 billion in aid between 2020 and 2024.
"We’re taking from the hungry to feed the hungrier," said Rania Dagash-Kamara, assistant executive director of the World Food Programme’s partnership and resource mobilization division.
With sources of funding drying up, organizations like the WFP are forced to make agonizing choices, such as reducing food rations and cutting the number of people they can assist.
The UN attributes this increasing crisis to a raft of factors, including escalating conflicts, political unrest, and extreme weather. Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, remarked that, "We’re having to turn away requests from those who need our help the most."
Wealthy donors tighten purse strings
The UN’s largest donors in recent years have been grappling with financial pressures and shifting domestic politics, leading to reduced aid contributions. Germany, for instance, has already cut its humanitarian aid budget by $500 million for 2023-2024, with plans to cut another $1 billion in 2025.
Meanwhile, major economies like China, Russia, and India have collectively contributed less than 1% of tracked UN aid funds since 2020. China ranked 32nd among top donors in 2023, with just $11.5 million in humanitarian aid, despite being the world’s second-largest economy. India ranked 35th, with $6.4 million in aid, despite having the fifth-largest economy.
The UN’s dismal 2024 fundraising results, with only 46% of the requested $49.6 billion secured, underscore the dire need for increased contributions from all nations if the looming global hunger crisis is to be averted.
