Climate and resilience
Weather extremes, armed conflicts and economic disruptions are driving more than 300 million people into crisis each year. Humanitarian assistance alone cannot address underlying drivers of hunger. To reduce the scale and impact of future crises, WFP and its partners invest in resilience – helping at-risk populations anticipate shocks, adapt to changing conditions, rebuild after disasters and strengthen livelihoods. We prioritize countries facing the most severe food crises, and work with national governments and local actors to improve food security and nutrition.
How does WFP support people before a crisis?
WFP works with governments and local partners to anticipate climate shocks by strengthening:
Using advanced forecasting tools, WFP predicts the impact of floods, droughts and storms, so early action can be taken to protect lives, livelihoods and food security. This saves lives and money: every US$1 invested in anticipatory action yields up to US$7 in avoided losses and added benefits.
WFP also reduces risk by helping communities build infrastructure such as flood-protection dikes and by improving land and water management through soil and water conservation and water‑harvesting systems.
What happens during a crisis?
When disasters strike, WFP provides cash, food or vouchers so that families can meet their immediate food needs. At the same time, WFP helps communities restore livelihoods, rebuild infrastructure, and improve access to natural resources and vital services — bridging the gap between emergency response and long-term resilience. WFP also works with governments to activate shock-responsive social protection, enabling faster, more targeted and inclusive assistance through national systems.
WFP helps governments and communities access predictable, disaster risk finance, including insurance savings, credit and digital financial services. This enables governments to scale up emergency responses and protect food-insecure populations. Since 2017, WFP-supported disaster risk finance solutions have provided 6.2 million people with assistance after a climate shock.