Acting Executive Director of the UN World Food Program (WFP) Carl Skau warned that severe hunger was threatening 300 million people around the world, with the figure continuing to rise.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Skau, who is visiting Saudi Arabia, said: “The escalations and disruptions in the region have pushed up fuel costs significantly, making both our operations and the price of food globally more expensive.”
“These rising fuel costs are then reflected directly in higher food prices around the world. When the price of food goes up by 20 percent, people often eat 20 percent less. Where we work, many people are already surviving on just one meal a day to begin with, so this has an immediate and serious impact,” he explained.
“It is also becoming more expensive for us to buy and deliver food. Shipping costs have increased by around 25 percent, as we are having to use longer and more expensive routes,” he went on to say.
“These global shocks are felt the most by people already going through crises. Like Yemen, which relies heavily on imports, or Gaza, where access was already limited, infrastructure destroyed, and people are relying on what comes through the borders,” he said.
“In Sudan, this will have longer term impacts because the fertilizers they received to plant during harvest season is stuck. They will not be able to grow their own food, while we struggle to deliver aid,” he added.
“All of this is happening while we are facing a historic funding gap, which is further constraining our ability to respond. We are making impossible decisions on who to reach. We are prioritizing emergency assistance to people, but that means taking away food from the hungry to go to the starving,” Skau said.
“WFP is operating at scale across all these crises, delivering food, cash, and nutrition support to millions every month. We are keeping essential supply chains moving, supporting local food systems, and prioritizing those most at risk,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“However, the reality is that without urgent funding and sustained humanitarian access, we face the very real prospect of scaling back assistance at a time when needs are at their peak.”
“That is why partnerships - particularly with countries like Saudi Arabia - are absolutely critical to ensuring we can continue to deliver and prevent a further deterioration of the situation,” he stressed.
“We are very keen on strengthening this partnership. Saudi Arabia plays a critical leadership role - not only as a major donor, but as a key partner in supporting regional stability and enabling humanitarian action where it is needed most,” he said.
Sudan, Yemen, Syria, and Palestine
Asked about the food situation in Sudan, Yemen, Syria, and Palestine, he told Asharq Al-Awsat: “These are among the most severe hunger crises in the world today.”
“Having visited Gaza, Sudan, and Lebanon this year, I have seen firsthand the rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground. This level of conflict and crisis did not exist five years ago in any of these countries,” Skau noted.
“Sudan is now the largest humanitarian emergency in the world, more than 19 million people in Sudan face acute hunger, and famine has been confirmed in parts of the country, and others at risk,” he warned.
“In both Yemen and Syria, more than half the population are unable to meet their basic food needs due to conflict, economic decline, and high prices,” he revealed.
“In Gaza, it has been seven months into the ceasefire, but families remain highly vulnerable, struggling to rebuild after two years of war. Many families are only eating once a day. Food items are not affordable. It’s a very fragile situation.”
