The United Nations World Food Programme announced Wednesday that it is welcoming an $800 million contribution from the United States — a major infusion of cash that comes after the Trump administration had previously slashed the agency’s American funding.
The WFP said the money would be used to scale up food assistance and respond quickly to emerging crises at a time when global hunger has reached record levels and the number of people facing severe food shortages is expected to climb further this year.
The United States is the WFP’s largest donor, but its contributions dropped by more than half between 2024 and 2025, falling to roughly $2 billion. The new $800 million grant would allow the agency to stockpile food supplies in advance, expand cash assistance programs, and keep supply chains running in crisis zones including Lebanon, Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The broader picture of U.S. humanitarian aid has also shifted dramatically. Overall U.S. humanitarian funding to the United Nations fell from $14.1 billion to approximately $3.38 billion in 2025 following significant spending cuts.
Just one day earlier, on Tuesday, the U.S. State Department announced a separate $218 million assistance package for UNICEF, the UN’s children’s agency.
The WFP is currently operating under temporary leadership as the United States works to install another American at the top of the organization. That search follows the resignation of Cindy McCain, who stepped down for health reasons.
