The United NatIons’ premier food agency has imposed a series of belt-tightening measures, including restrictions on recruitment, travel, procurement, and training events, as part of an effort to weather an unprecedented U.S. funding pause that has roiled the international aid community.
The World Food Programme is one of the most popular U.N. agencies in Washington, D.C., enjoying bipartisan political support over the years and drawing special praise from President Donald Trump’s new U.N. envoy, Elise Stefanik, who cited it, alongside UNICEF, as one of the U.N. agencies that demonstrably advances U.S. interests.
Shortly after Trump issued an executive order calling for a pause on all foreign aid, pending a 90-day review to determine if their activities align with his “America First” policies, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a waiver for emergency food assistance, a nod toward the importance of the Rome-based agency’s role in delivering food.
About the author
Colum Lynch
Colum Lynch is an award-winning reporter and Senior Global Reporter for Devex. He covers the intersection of development, diplomacy, and humanitarian relief at the United Nations and beyond. Prior to Devex, Colum reported on foreign policy and national security for Foreign Policy Magazine and the Washington Post. Colum was awarded the 2011 National Magazine Award for digital reporting for his blog Turtle Bay. He has also won an award for groundbreaking reporting on the U.N.’s failure to protect civilians in Darfur.
