The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is closing its Southern Africa bureau, citing severe funding shortfalls as the region grapples with an escalating drought crisis. The decision comes amid a sharp decline in U.S. aid, which previously accounted for nearly half of the agency’s budget.
The closure underscores the impact of the Trump administration’s deep cuts to foreign aid, part of its “America First” agenda. The U.S., the WFP’s largest donor, slashed more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s contracts, pulling back over $58 billion in global assistance. “The donor funding outlook has become constrained,” said Tomson Phiri, WFP’s regional spokesperson, stressing the urgency of reallocating limited resources.
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The WFP provided $4.5 billion of its $9.8 billion budget last year to food and cash assistance programs worldwide. The bureau’s closure comes as an El Nino-induced drought devastates Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, forcing these nations to declare a national disaster. The WFP had already raised only a fifth of the funds needed for its drought response in the region last year.
Phiri assured that the closure would not disrupt direct aid to Southern Africa. Instead, operations will be consolidated into the Nairobi office to “stretch every dollar” and maximize support for frontline teams. However, experts warn that the move risks slowing response times and reducing the reach of aid in one of the world’s most food-insecure regions.
More than 60% of the food WFP distributes globally is sourced within the regions it serves. The Southern Africa shutdown threatens to disrupt these supply chains, further complicating relief efforts.
