The UN World Food Programme will reduce employees by 25 to 30 per cent as the budget for the global aid agency crashes, according to an internal message seen Monday by AFP. President Donald Trump has taken steps to cut US funding to the UN and its agencies since being back at the White House, bringing funding in disarray as Washington was the biggest contributor to many budgets previously.
The WFP is the global humanitarian organization, responsible for preventing famine and severe hunger worldwide, playing a crucial role in delivering food to crises such as Sudan’s war and disaster areas.
“WFP has to cut its global staff by 25-30 per cent, potentially affecting up to 6,000 positions,” the email stated. This structural change — to maintain resources in defence of critical operations — will affect all geographies, divisions and levels within the organization.”
Before the cuts, WFP established in 1961 had 23,000 employees and a presence in 120 nations, based on its website. The magnitude of the job cuts required is hard news to tell and even harder to hear. But it is the necessary and prudent choice considering our precarious funding picture,” the memo said.
