Dakar: Every year, the World Food Programme (WFP) identifies people with disabilities as among the most food-insecure and nutritionally deficient across various hunger hotspots.
According to EMM, WFP staff must understand the root causes and nuances of the challenges faced by people with disabilities in more than 120 countries to perform their duties effectively.
To address these challenges, WFP has been hiring people with disabilities, as seen in Mozambique, and training staff to establish a baseline of expertise. This initiative extends to WFP’s partners in countries such as Venezuela and Lebanon. Community messaging also plays a vital role, although WFP faces unprecedented funding cuts, threatening to reverse hard-won gains.
In 2024, WFP managed to reach 6.5 million people with disabilities across 60 countries. This achievement is the result of years of building and implementing systems to ensure equitable access to WFP services. Partnerships with disability-focused organizations have been crucial in improving targeting and delivering assistance safely and accountably.
No person with albinism should feel threatened when seeking assistance, and no woman with a disability should be coerced into sharing her resources with male community members. Disability extends beyond individual impairments to include overcoming barriers to survival and realizing potential.
WFP emphasizes the importance of listening to those most affected by hunger. While statistics provide one narrative, communities and organizations representing people with disabilities offer insights into the barriers they face, risks encountered, and instances of discrimination. These groups act as community “course-correctors.”
To date, WFP has signed more than 19 agreements with organizations representing people with disabilities, enhancing programs in countries like Venezuela, Mozambique, Lebanon, and Nepal. However, challenges remain, as hunger is not just about statistics but about the varied difficulties people face in accessing assistance.
Improved data on individuals with disabilities, the barriers they face, and their coping mechanisms are essential. Engaging with representative organizations is crucial to ensuring their collective voices are heard. Trained and reliable cooperating partners are needed for safe and inclusive delivery.
Open dialogue with national governments is necessary to create environments that allow people with disabilities to transition to durable national solutions. Even targeted programs face access issues, with some individuals unable to reach cash distribution points.
In northern Syria, the UN estimates that 37 percent of the population lives with some form of disability, exceeding the global average. In Gaza, the conflict has resulted in significant numbers of individuals becoming disabled, severely compromising access to food and nutrition.
WFP offices in Syria have invested in accessibility, adapting distribution methods and improving last-mile food provision. However, with funding more than halved in 2025, continued investment is challenging, especially with hunger projected to rise in 2026. Addressing the root causes of inequality is a focus for WFP, as disability encompasses overcoming survival barriers and realizing potential.
Discrimination, often resulting in violence, undermines WFP’s ability to deliver assistance safely and inclusively. However, small victories, like the inclusive village of Maadou in Guinea and sports tournaments in South Sudan, demonstrate the impact of investment, allyship, and passion.
These achievements are proof of WFP’s commitment over the past five years to tackle hunger, including among people with disabilities. The challenge now is to build on these gains in uncertain times and ensure more small victories in the future.