Though famines were once caused mainly by climate shocks such as drought, conflict is the single biggest driver of hunger today. The last officially declared famine was in South Sudan in 2017, clearly fuelled by conflict. To avert famine, we need an end to conflict. Beyond this, WFP regards peace as fundamental to ending hunger, with our work in this area recognized by the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.
Around two-thirds of WFP’s life-saving food assistance goes to people facing severe food crises which are mostly caused by conflict. Where climate change, still a huge driver of hunger, intersects with conflict, and now COVID-19, chaos ensues.
With sufficient funding and access, WFP has the expertise, deep-field presence and operational scale to stop famine in its tracks and steer people away from the edge of starvation. We provide immediate food assistance while also fostering longer-term self-reliance through strengthening education, nutrition, livelihoods and social protection systems. We also support governments in anticipating and preventing the threat of extreme hunger that can lead to famine.