The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is shutting down its Southern Africa regional bureau in Johannesburg, at a time the agency is leading efforts to combat the worst drought in the region in four decades.
The closure comes amid sweeping cuts to US foreign aid under President Donald Trump, which have affected programmes ranging from healthcare to food security. The US contributes nearly half of WFP’s $9.7 billion annual budget.
“We have reached the difficult decision to close WFP’s regional bureau for Southern Africa in Johannesburg,” WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain wrote in a staff email seen by Bloomberg. “Challenging times demand some difficult choices.” Some 160 workers in the Johannesburg office may be affected, Bloomberg reported.
Regional spokesperson Tomson Phiri said WFP would consolidate its Eastern and Southern Africa operations, managing both from Nairobi. However, he assured that the restructuring would not disrupt country-level operations in Southern Africa, where WFP currently supports 26 million people affected by drought.
“The goal is to stretch every dollar and direct maximum resources to our frontline teams,” Phiri told Reuters.
The Trump administration has slashed funding for USAID by more than 90%, risking aid programmes worldwide.
A reduction in WFP operations would be a further blow to local economies, as the organisation sources over 60% of its food, products, and services from the countries where it operates.
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