U.N. World Food Programme reports funding shortfall and multiple crises

Cindy McCain, executive director of the U.N. World Food Programme, said the agency has received half the money required to meet current needs five months into 2026. McCain stated that both U.S. reductions and a broader global decline in foreign aid contributions are responsible for the shortfall. She noted that several countries are redirecting funds toward domestic priorities.

Multiple active emergencies McCain described an Ebola outbreak in Congo, where the agency is part of a joint response with the World Health Organization and other groups. She said the situation is spreading rapidly and that adequate medical facilities for staff are not yet in place.

In Sudan, McCain reported limited progress moving supplies into Darfur from Chad, though factions continue to block routes on some days. She said the U.N. has classified the crisis as the world's worst humanitarian situation.

Regional access constraints McCain said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing strikes have disrupted food deliveries to Iran and neighboring areas. She estimated that reopening the strait would still leave months of delays before supply chains recover.

She added that similar access problems affect Afghanistan, where delivery times have increased from roughly three weeks to nearly three months. McCain said women and children are the first groups to experience shortages when fertilizer, seeds, and other agricultural inputs are delayed.

In Gaza, McCain stated that aid volumes have returned to earlier restricted levels after a period of larger deliveries during a ceasefire. She said renewed restrictions and ongoing strikes have again limited truck access.