The global hunger crisis continues to deepen as wealthier nations reduce their contributions to humanitarian aid. The United Nations has warned that it will only be able to assist around 60% of the 307 million people expected to need help in 2025, leaving at least 117 million people without essential food and support.
In 2024, the UN had hoped to raise $49.6 billion for global humanitarian needs, but by the end of the year, it had only gathered 46% of the target, marking the second consecutive year it fell short of its funding goals.
As a result, humanitarian organizations have been forced to make difficult decisions, such as reducing food rations and cutting the number of people eligible for assistance. In Syria, for example, the World Food Program (WFP), which previously provided aid to 6 million people, revised its projections to assist only 1 million due to funding shortages. “Their line was, ‘We are at this point taking from the hungry to feed the starving,'” said Rania Dagash-Kamara, WFP’s assistant executive director for partnerships and resource mobilization.
The situation is compounded by ongoing conflicts, political instability, and extreme weather, all of which exacerbate famine and hunger. Tom Fletcher, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, expressed a bleak outlook, stating that the UN has been forced to scale back aid to those in most urgent need.
Financial pressures and shifting political priorities in wealthier nations have contributed to the aid shortfall. Germany, one of the UN’s largest donors, reduced its humanitarian aid by $500 million from 2023 to 2024 and has proposed a further $1 billion cut for 2025. Meanwhile, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s second term is raising concerns about potential further reductions in U.S. aid, as his administration previously sought to slash funding for global humanitarian efforts.
The U.S. has been a key player in global hunger relief, contributing $64.5 billion in aid over the past five years, representing at least 38% of total contributions tracked by the UN. Together, the U.S., Germany, and the European Commission accounted for more than half of all humanitarian funding in response to crises from 2020 to 2024. In contrast, major emerging economies like China, Russia, and India have contributed less than 1% of UN humanitarian funding.
This funding gap, combined with logistical challenges in conflict zones, is severely hindering efforts to deliver aid to those most in need. In 2023, nearly 282 million people in 59 countries faced high levels of acute food insecurity. As hunger continues to spread, the failure of wealthy nations to meet their financial commitments is becoming a central issue in the global response to food crises.
The situation is further complicated by the proposed policy changes in the U.S., where Project 2025, a set of proposals for Trump’s second term, calls for cuts to international disaster aid and suggests that humanitarian programs in areas controlled by “malign actors” should be discontinued. Trump’s plan has garnered attention from figures such as billionaire Elon Musk, who has been tasked with co-leading a new government body to review foreign aid spending.
While Trump’s first-term budget cuts were blocked by Congress, the future of global hunger relief remains uncertain as major powers like the U.S. and Germany continue to scale back their contributions, leaving millions of vulnerable people without crucial support.
