Stephen Anderson
The State of Qatar has once again set a regional benchmark for humanitarian leadership. It signed its latest flexible funding agreement with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) during last week’s UN General Assembly—at a time when the world is facing a hunger crisis of historic proportions.
For the first time in recent history, we have two confirmed famines—in Sudan and Gaza—while other hunger hotspots teeter on the brink. At least 319 million people across 67 countries where WFP operates face acute food insecurity, and this global crisis will only worsen without urgent action.
Qatar’s flexible contribution of US$5 million last year, through the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), joined those of leading donors like Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands, helping WFP act with the speed and agility that today’s complex hunger crises demand. This year, QFFD reaffirmed its commitment to annual flexible multilateral contributions in support of WFP’s lifesaving efforts in emergencies and protracted crises at a time of critical funding gaps.
Why is flexible funding so critical? Imagine WFP – the world’s largest humanitarian organization fighting hunger and malnutrition – moving faster, delivering smarter, and with greater reach than ever before. When donors give flexible funds, or unearmarked resources, they empower WFP to choose how best to use those funds—decisions from where to allocate the money to what type of assistance to spend it on, and when to do so are made by our experts in the field. These are seasoned humanitarians who are on the frontlines of critical responses and are closest to the people in need.
In 2024, WFP reached more than 120 million people in 85 countries with life-saving food and nutrition assistance. Complementing the earmarked donor funds was US$1.1 billion in flexible funding from 115 donors. Analysis shows that when WFP can use flexible funding to scale up in response to a sudden onset emergency food delivery lead times are cut by over 60 percent. Flexible funds also allow us to pre-position supplies and respond to emergencies before they spiral out of control.
These flexible resources empower WFP to move faster and more efficiently—an absolute necessity at a time when WFP operations are overstretched, underfunded, and increasingly under attack. This year, we expect 40 percent less funding than last year—US$4 billion less to reach the world’s hungriest families with life-saving support.
With flexible funding we deliver faster and smarter aid
When conflict erupted in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan and Yemen or when drought devastated crops in Zambia, flexible funding enabled WFP to pivot instantly—prepositioning food, scaling up operations, and reaching those most in need fast. In Lebanon, when conflict and economic collapse converged in 2024, flexible funds kicked in, enabling WFP to respond quickly and efficiently—prioritizing the most vulnerable and marginalized, including Syrian refugees. WFP was able to provide hot meals and food parcels to families.
“The cost of living is extreme,” said Samer, a recipient of WFP assistance in Lebanon. “The food parcels we receive mean we don’t have to choose between feeding our children and buying medicine,” he said. In 2024, WFP reached some 2.3 million people in Lebanon, including more than 750,000 affected by the latest conflict.
Through flexible funding, WFP was able to unlock US$60 million for operations in Sudan—the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe, where famine conditions have persisted for over a year. These funds enabled WFP’s teams on the ground to purchase critical emergency food without needing to wait for earmarked funding from traditional donors. This rapid ability to respond not only allowed WFP to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in a timely manner but also gave country teams the flexibility to purchase food when prices were favourable, without waiting on earmarked funds to arrive.
In Yemen, flexible funding has been a game changer. With swift access to flexible funds, WFP was able to bridge gaps and prevent disruptions in our critical nutrition programme with a timely injection of flexible funds. Without it, WFP’s nutrition programme would have been put on pause, risking the lives of children and mothers.
And in Zambia, where the worst drought in four decades has left 6.6 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, nearly US$6 million in swift and flexible partner support was vital to our timely response. These flexible funds helped support WFP’s emergency food and cash response to 1.2 million of the most vulnerable people, without disrupting our regular food assistance programmes. This meant that small-holder farmers like Gladys Mataa, who might have faced empty cupboards, continued to receive assistance that helped her and her five children during the hardest times. “I can feed my children and keep their dreams alive,” she told WFP.
Flexible funding is WFP’s strongest tool to optimize its humanitarian response. Working together with earmarked funds, flexible resources bridge gaps and maintain continuity. As humanitarian needs soar and resources are stretched thin, flexible funding gives WFP the freedom to respond faster, save on costs, plan better and prevent disruptions to our lifesaving interventions. Qatar’s example sets a standard and reminds us that true partnership is rooted in trust, allowing frontline humanitarian actors like WFP to do what they do best: save and change lives.
As underscored at the UN General Assembly, ignoring this crisis risks not only lives lost but greater global instability. We urgently call on the international community to reinvest in hunger solutions and support WFP’s frontline work—because with adequate funding and access, we can turn the tide on famine and extreme hunger.
