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U.N. warns WFP cuts in Somalia after major funding shortfall; FAO reports slight drop in global food-price benchmark
Summary
The U.N. spokesperson said the World Food Programme must reduce operations in Somalia without urgent funding and cited FAO data showing a small decline in the world food commodity price index for September.
The United Nations spokesperson warned that the World Food Programme will sharply reduce food assistance in Somalia without additional funds, and cited FAO reporting on global food-price movements.
WFP has notified the U.N. that critical funding shortfalls will force it to cut the number of people receiving emergency food assistance in Somalia from about 1.1 million in August to roughly 350,000 in November, the spokesperson said. The WFP told the U.N. it urgently requires $98 million to sustain life-saving operations for approximately 800,000 people through the lean season to March 2026, the spokesperson added.
Why it matters: the spokesperson said the reduction would leave the WFP supporting “less than 1 in every 10 people who are indeed in need of food assistance for survival,” citing the IPC report that estimates 4.4 million people in Somalia face crisis-level food insecurity or worse, including 1 million in emergency levels.
The U.N. also cited FAO data showing the world food commodity price index declined slightly in September, led by falls in sugar and dairy indices; the spokesperson gave a September reading and year-on-year percentage change for context.
No new donor pledges were announced at the briefing. The spokesperson called for urgent additional funding to prevent further reductions in assistance.
