Overview
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation and a United Nations agency, established in 1961 and headquartered in Rome, Italy. WFP operates in over 120 countries and territories, with a staff of more than 20,000 worldwide. In 2024, WFP delivered 2.5 million metric tons of food and disbursed US$2.82 billion in cash-based transfers and commodity vouchers, reaching 121 million people in 2025. In recognition of its efforts to combat hunger and its role in improving conditions for peace, WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
Mission and focus areas
WFP’s mission is to save lives in emergencies and use food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. The organisation works across two principal pillars: saving lives through emergency relief, food assistance, humanitarian support and services, and supply chain logistics; and changing lives through long-term programmes in climate resilience, nutrition, food systems, gender equality, school meals, and smallholder farmer support. Two-thirds of WFP’s work is in conflict-affected countries, where people are three times more likely to be undernourished than those living in countries without conflict. WFP also works with governments to strengthen national capacity to address food insecurity through social protection systems and country capacity building.
Structure and governance
WFP was officially established in 1961 through a UN General Assembly resolution as a joint UN/FAO effort, with its first development programme launched in Sudan in 1963. It is governed by an Executive Board composed of member states, providing intergovernmental support and oversight of its activities. The organisation’s operations are entirely funded through voluntary contributions from donor governments, institutions, corporations and individuals; 93.5 percent of all government contributions go directly to life-saving and life-changing operations. WFP holds itself to high standards of transparency and accountability, conducting objective independent audits and investigations, periodic independent evaluations, and publishing monthly financial data as a member of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) since 2012.
Programs and offerings
WFP delivers a broad range of programmes spanning emergency response and long-term development. In emergencies, WFP mobilises a logistics capacity of approximately 5,000 trucks, 20 ships and 80 aircraft to deliver food and humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict, drought, floods, earthquakes and other disasters. Its cash-based transfer programmes enable beneficiaries to purchase food of their choice in local markets, strengthening both household food security and local economies. WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian school meals provider, with over 50 years of experience in this area. Additional programmes include climate and resilience building, nutrition initiatives targeting malnutrition in women and children, support for smallholder farmers, and the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), which annually transports hundreds of thousands of humanitarian workers to the world’s most challenging locations. WFP also invests in innovation and digital transformation to improve the efficiency and reach of its humanitarian response.
We save lives
For millions of people worldwide, WFP’s emergency relief during crises is the difference between life and death.
On any given day, WFP has 5,000 trucks, 20 ships and about 80 aircraft on the move, delivering emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid and special operations to people affected by conflict, droughts, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, crop failures and other disasters. Two-thirds of our work is in conflict-affected countries, where people are three times more likely to be undernourished than those living in countries without conflict.
When an emergency subsides, WFP helps rebuild lives and livelihoods by strengthening the resilience of people and communities.
We change lives
Our work to build resilience, adapt to climate change, promote good nutrition and improve food systems lays the foundations of a more prosperous future for millions.
WFP is the largest humanitarian organization implementing school-meal programmes worldwide, with over 50 years’ experience in this area. In 2025, WFP delivered 2.3 million metric tons of food and disbursed US$2.2 billion in cash-based transfers and commodity vouchers – strengthening food and nutrition security and sustaining local economies around the world.
