{"id":1797,"date":"2025-07-02T13:52:57","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T13:52:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=1797"},"modified":"2025-07-02T13:52:57","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T13:52:57","slug":"u-n-world-food-program-warns-of-worsening-hunger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=1797","title":{"rendered":"U.N. World Food Program Warns of Worsening Hunger"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Welcome to <em>Foreign Policy<\/em>\u2019s Africa Brief.<\/p>\n<p>The highlights this week: <strong>Sudanese refugees <\/strong>face worsening hunger amid unprecedented aid cuts, analysts remain skeptical of the <strong>new peace deal<\/strong> between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and tensions mount within South Africa\u2019s<strong> shaky coalition government<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-fallback\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/africa-brief\/\">Sign up<\/a>  to receive Africa Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.            <\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<form data-shortcode-newsletter=\"africa_brief\" class=\"newsletter-unit-signup newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode email-capture--step-1 newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-africa_brief\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-africa_brief newsletter-shortcode-africa_brief\">\n<div class=\"show-on-email-capture--signed-up hide-from-newsletter-subscriber newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode--container\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit newsletter-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-africa_brief\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">Sign up to receive Africa Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.<\/h2>\n<p>\n                        <button class=\"button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"grid--flex newsletter-africa_brief newsletter-signup-container\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"Africa Brief sign up form\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"buttons\">\n<div class=\"hide-from-newsletter-subscriber privacy-policy-container\">\n<div class=\"privacy-policy-acknowledge\">\n<p><small>By submitting your email, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/termsofuse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n    <label for=\"email-africa_brief\">Enter your email<\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" class=\"hide-from-reg hide-from-sub\" id=\"email-africa_brief\" aria-required=\"true\" required=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    <button class=\"button button--signup \" data-newsletter-id=\"africa_brief\" data-sourceid=\"In-article unit\" type=\"submit\"><br \/>\n      <span class=\"sign-up-text\">Sign Up<\/span><br \/>\n      <span class=\"loading-text\">Loading&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Aid Cuts Push Sudanese Refugees Toward Hunger<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) <a href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2025\/06\/1165086\">warned<\/a> on Monday that Sudanese refugees who have fled to neighboring African countries\u2014including the Central African Republic, Egypt, and Ethiopia\u2014face worsening hunger following cuts to global aid.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a full-blown regional crisis that\u2019s playing out in countries that already have extreme levels of food insecurity and high levels of conflict,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wfp.org\/news\/refugees-escaping-sudan-face-escalating-hunger-and-malnutrition-food-aid-risks-major\">said<\/a> Shaun Hughes, WFP\u2019s emergency coordinator for the Sudan regional crisis.<\/p>\n<p>More than 4 million people have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/africa\/more-than-4-million-refugees-have-fled-sudan-since-war-began-un-says-2025-06-03\/\">fled<\/a> Sudan since civil war broke out between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023. Although this is the world\u2019s largest displacement crisis, it has largely escaped global attention and been overshadowed by conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies are facing unprecedented cuts in global aid, especially as governments <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/globalcitizen\/2025\/02\/25\/foreign-aid-is-shrinking-what-happens-next\/\">boost<\/a> defense spending. Under President Donald Trump, the United States, the world\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/275597\/largers-donor-countries-of-aid-worldwide\/\">largest<\/a> foreign aid donor, has slashed aid by an estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/06\/12\/europe\/foreign-aid-cuts-uk-germany-canada-intl\">56 percent<\/a> compared with 2023; Germany and the United Kingdom are cutting aid by around 27 percent and 39 percent, respectively.<\/p>\n<p>These cuts constitute a severe threat to U.N. humanitarian work. Last week, the WFP said it may need to suspend food assistance to more than 235,000 refugees in Egypt by August if it cannot meet a critical funding shortfall of <a href=\"https:\/\/reliefweb.int\/report\/egypt\/wfp-egypt-country-brief-may-2025\">$23 million<\/a>. As of February, the U.N. Refugee Agency had received only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/news\/stories\/aid-cuts-shut-down-critical-services-sudanese-refugees-chad\">14 percent<\/a> of the more than $409 million it needed to support the 1.3 million forcibly displaced people in Chad, most of whom are Sudanese.<\/p>\n<p>Within Sudan, famine has been confirmed across at least <a href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2025\/04\/1162096\">10 areas<\/a>, with 17 other locations at risk. Around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unrefugees.org\/news\/sudan-crisis-explained\/\">26 million<\/a> people\u2014more than half of the country\u2019s population\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2025\/04\/1162096\">face<\/a> extreme levels of hunger. But as of March, the U.N. Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan had received just <a href=\"https:\/\/sudantribune.com\/article298056\/\">$252.6 million<\/a> of the $4.2 billion required to support humanitarian efforts in the country.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the conflict has entered a new phase in recent months as both sides ramp up their use of drones, which analysts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/5e9441c8-00d1-4133-87d6-a026deb6eb39\">believe<\/a> are coming from China, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. In May, Amnesty International <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/news\/2025\/05\/sudan-advanced-chinese-weaponry-provided-by-uae-identified-in-breach-of-arms-embargo-new-investigation\/\">identified<\/a> the use of sophisticated Chinese-made drones in an RSF attack that killed 13 people, noting that the UAE \u201calmost certainly\u201d provided the drones.<\/p>\n<p>In March, Sudan filed a case against the UAE before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing the country of \u201ccomplicity in genocide\u201d of non-Arab communities by supporting the RSF. Two months later, the ICJ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/law\/2025\/may\/05\/sudan-fails-in-attempt-to-make-uae-accountable-for-acts-of-genocide\">dismissed<\/a> the case, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.icj-cij.org\/sites\/default\/files\/case-related\/197\/197-20250505-pre-01-00-en.pdf\">saying<\/a> the court lacked the authority to hear it because the UAE had opted out of an article of the Genocide Convention that allows nations to sue one another for alleged genocide at the ICJ. The UAE has repeatedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cly1ygvxvq3o\">denied<\/a> backing the RSF.<\/p>\n<p>Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the U.N. undersecretary-general for peace operations, <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/US\/wireStory\/peacekeeping-chief-warns-conflict-sudan-spilling-central-african-123261260\">warned<\/a> last Thursday that the conflict was spilling over Sudan\u2019s southwestern border into the Central African Republic. He told the U.N. Security Council that \u201carmed Sudanese elements\u201d were responsible for the killing of a Zambian U.N. peacekeeper in June near the border.<\/p>\n<p>Sudan\u2019s civil war has already <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/05\/07\/south-sudan-conflict-hospital-bombing-civil-war-civilian-casualties\/\">complicated tensions<\/a> in neighboring South Sudan\u2019s Upper Nile region, and as it continues to escalate, analysts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crisisgroup.org\/africa\/horn-africa\/sudan\/two-years-sudans-war-spreading\">fear<\/a> it could spread farther across the region.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>The Week Ahead<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Wednesday, July 2, to Wednesday, July 9: <\/strong>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Ghana and Namibia as part of a five-nation tour focused on critical minerals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sunday, July 6: <\/strong>Brazil hosts a two-day BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro. Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Africa will attend as members, while Nigeria is slated to attend as a partner nation.<\/p>\n<p>Eight OPEC+ countries, including Algeria, convene for a virtual meeting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Monday, July 7: <\/strong>Deadline for charges to be brought against detained Rwandan opposition figure Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>What We\u2019re Watching<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Can Congo\u2019s peace deal hold?<\/strong> On Friday, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda signed a peace deal brokered by the United States, which seeks to access critical minerals in Congo, where Chinese companies effectively hold a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.atlanticcouncil.org\/blogs\/new-atlanticist\/experts-react-the-drc-and-rwanda-agreed-to-a-us-backed-peace-deal-can-critical-minerals-help-end-this-conflict\/\">monopoly<\/a> on the mining sector. Although Rwanda denies involvement in Congo\u2019s conflict, U.N. experts <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/un-congo-rwanda-troops-m23-panel-experts-8619a4ce5727a7fec85808ef76762d9b\">say<\/a> the country has as many as 4,000 troops fighting alongside M23 rebels who have captured parts of eastern Congo this year.<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/91a66fc6-28e7-4320-a537-eeb8fac34f0d\"><em>Financial Times<\/em><\/a>, the deal could see coltan mined from the Rubaya site in Congo\u2019s North Kivu province transferred legally to Rwanda. There, coltan would be processed for export at a Kigali smelter built by a consortium comprising Rwandan investor Ngali Holdings; Swiss commodities group Mercuria; and America First Global, an investment firm chaired by Gentry Beach, a Texan hedge fund manager who was a major <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2018\/mar\/12\/trump-jr-failed-to-disclose-longtime-business-ties-with-campaign-donor\">fundraiser<\/a> for Trump\u2019s 2016 campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Yet many analysts and Congolese are skeptical that the deal will bring lasting peace. Fighting in eastern Congo has endured for more than three decades and displaced at least <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rescue.org\/article\/conflict-drc-what-you-need-know-about-crisis\">7 million<\/a> people. Critics <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/ckg3721np9go\">question<\/a> how the deal will be enforced, especially since M23 operates a <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/04\/30\/congo-conflict-m23-rebels-trump-rubio-us-peace-deal-critical-minerals\/\">parallel proxy government<\/a> across the territories it has captured since January, where it collects taxes from mining operations\u2014including at Rubaya.=<\/p>\n<p>M23 rebels previously <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/congo-m23-nangaa-rwanda-peace-talks-minerals-f6116d5f602bfdf0ab85fde97fa8dadb\">suggested<\/a> that the agreement would not be binding for them because they had not been included in negotiations. Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila, meanwhile, has <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SOS_Rwanda\/status\/1939044527584747800\">described<\/a> the deal as \u201cnothing more than a trade agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>South Africa\u2019s shaky coalition. <\/strong>Tensions are mounting within South Africa\u2019s already fragile 10-party Government of National Unity after the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party in the coalition, <a href=\"https:\/\/iol.co.za\/the-star\/news\/2025-06-29-da-clashes-with-ramaphosa-over-dismissal-but-stays-in-coalition-for-now\/\">withdrew<\/a> on Sunday from a national dialogue that President Cyril Ramaphosa had planned for August.<\/p>\n<p>The announcement followed Ramaphosa\u2019s firing of DA member and Deputy Trade Minister Andrew Whitfield over an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepresidency.gov.za\/statement-president-cyril-ramaphosa-removal-deputy-minister-whitfield\">unauthorized trip<\/a> to the United States this year. Since the coalition was formed last year, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and DA have clashed on a number of issues, including tax policy, land reforms, and a language <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/02\/26\/south-africa-trump-musk-vat-budget-da-anc-eff-coalition\/\">education bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Although the coalition government will remain intact for now, the DA will likely continue to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.da.org.za\/2025\/06\/da-withdraws-from-national-dialogue-and-resolves-to-vote-against-departmental-budgets-for-corrupt-anc-ministers\">oppose<\/a> budget votes for government departments headed by ANC ministers, posing a challenge to Ramaphosa\u2019s presidency at a time of intense scrutiny from the Trump administration. These tensions could <a href=\"https:\/\/iol.co.za\/news\/politics\/2025-06-30-analysts-warn-da-led-no-confidence-vote-could-topple-ramaphosa\/\">trigger<\/a> the DA to bring about a motion of no confidence against Ramaphosa.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mozambique\u2019s child soldiers.<\/strong> Al-Shabab has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2025\/06\/24\/mozambique-armed-groups-child-abductions-surge-in-north\">kidnapped<\/a> at least 120 children in recent days in northern Mozambique\u2019s Cabo Delgado province. The terrorist group is forcing many of the children to become fighters or child brides, according to Human Rights Watch.<\/p>\n<p>An Islamist insurgency began in Cabo Delgado in 2017, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rosalux.de\/fileadmin\/images\/publikationen\/Studien\/Cabo-Delgado-From-The-Frying-Pan-Into-The-Fire.pdf\">driven<\/a> in part by social and economic exclusion, youth disaffection, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/issafrica.org\/iss-today\/the-many-roots-of-mozambiques-deadly-insurgency\">extraction<\/a> of rich gas deposits by international companies. The violence in the province has displaced more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrc.no\/news\/2025\/june\/mozambique-spiralling-hunger-crisis-and-violence-amid-collapsing-aid-budgets\">1.4 million<\/a> people.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Angolan investment. <\/strong>Last week, Angola became the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.africafc.org\/news-and-insights\/news\/angola-becomes-shareholder-in-afc-reinforcing-commitment-to-africa-led-development\">latest<\/a> sovereign shareholder in the Africa Finance Corp. The country has committed around $185 million in equity investments to the Lagos-based infrastructure financier, which is a lead developer in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theafricareport.com\/384302\/us-backed-lobito-corridor-project-to-reach-financial-close-august-afc-boss\/\">Lobito Corridor<\/a>, a U.S.-backed railway project to help transport critical minerals.<\/p>\n<p>In 2024, the Africa Finance Corp. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.africafc.org\/news-and-insights\/news\/africa-finance-corporation-tops-1-billion-revenue-for-first-time-as-landmark-projects-unlock-growth-across-the-continent\">surpassed<\/a> $1 billion in total revenue for the year for the first time in its history, with new investments from Turk Eximbank and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, among other institutions.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>This Week in Culture<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Nigeria\u2019s Senate Committee on Reparations and Repatriations, which was formed last year, <a href=\"https:\/\/thenationonlineng.net\/senate-tasks-stakeholders-on-repatriation-of-cultural-heritage\/\">met<\/a> with other African policymakers on Monday to <a href=\"https:\/\/punchng.com\/senate-to-meet-african-envoys-on-restitution-for-looted-heritage\/\">discuss<\/a> how to move forward on seeking the restitution of stolen cultural artifacts as well as redress for economic exploitation.<\/p>\n<p>In June, the Netherlands returned to Nigeria <a href=\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2025\/06\/19\/netherlands-returns-more-than-100-benin-bronzes-looted-from-nigeria\">119 Benin Bronzes<\/a> that were looted by British soldiers in 1897. The <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2020\/07\/28\/time-repatriate-africa-looted-art-artifacts-cultural-heritage-benin-bronzes-nigeria-ghana-europe-british-museum\/\">Benin Bronzes<\/a> are a collection of 5,000 or so artifacts, largely made in the 14th to 16th centuries, that adorned the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin in what is now Nigeria\u2019s Edo state.<\/p>\n<p>Nigeria intends to house the returned artwork in two museums planned for construction in Benin City, the <a href=\"https:\/\/wearemowaa.org\/the-space\/\">Museum of West African Art<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/africa\/nigerias-museum-agrees-with-royal-ruler-custody-benin-bronzes-2025-02-26\/\">Benin Royal Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, New York\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/press-releases\/met-and-ncmm-announcement-2021-news\">Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/english.inspectie-oe.nl\/publications\/publication\/2020\/11\/2\/the-netherlands-returns-an-ife-terracotta-head-to-nigeria\">Netherlands<\/a> have also returned some artifacts of Yoruba origin from the Ife Empire in what is now southwestern Nigeria. Yoruba art is now being displayed at the <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/style\/john-randle-centre-yoruba-lagos-nigeria-intl\">John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History<\/a>, a museum that opened in Lagos last October.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>FP\u2019s Most Read This Week<\/h3>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>What We\u2019re Reading<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Kenya\u2019s champion of Indigenous languages.<\/strong> Kenyan literary giant Ng\u0169g\u0129 wa Thiong\u2019o died in May at the age of 87. His last book, <em>Decolonizing Language and Other Revolutionary Ideas<\/em>, was published a few weeks before his death.<\/p>\n<p>In the<em> Republic<\/em>, author Sarah Ladipo Manyika <a href=\"https:\/\/rpublc.com\/june-july-2025\/meeting-ngugi-wa-thiongo\/\">recounts<\/a> her friendship with Ng\u0169g\u0129. \u201cNg\u0169g\u0129\u2019s role as a language warrior and publishing revolutionary was inextricably tied to the importance of storytelling,\u201d she writes. \u201cHe was a master storyteller, especially drawn to oral storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nigeria\u2019s last queer scene? <\/strong>The rising popularity of underground rave clubs in Lagos is eroding a historically safe space for LGBTQ people in Nigeria, Rabi Madaki <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecontinent.org\/_files\/ugd\/287178_8f46451eb669450a8413bc42946df51c.pdf?index=true\">reports<\/a> in the<em> Continent<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat began as intimate, protective spaces for queer Nigerians are now a visible mainstream scene, with sponsorships and celebrity appearances at big venues. \u2026 What was once a queer refuge now requires performance, calculation, and self-policing,\u201d she writes.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/07\/02\/sudan-refugee-crisis-foreign-aid-cuts-un-world-food-program-hunger-risk\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to Foreign Policy\u2019s Africa Brief. The highlights this week: Sudanese refugees face worsening hunger amid unprecedented aid cuts, analysts remain skeptical of the new peace deal between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and tensions mount within South Africa\u2019s shaky coalition government. Sign up to receive Africa Brief in your inbox every [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1797","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politcical-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1797\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}