Our Commitment to Alleviating Hunger During Crises in 2025
A recent article from Context News highlighted the colossal scale of crises around the world, stating that “more than 180 million people are caught up in humanitarian emergencies.” However, the article explains that some emergencies receive limited media coverage and “fly under the radar.”
Access to food, wages and market systems are often destroyed during an emergency, leading to higher rates of food insecurity. That is why Rise Against Hunger is committed to responding to emergencies. We work with local partners to provide food and other assistance to people affected by protracted crises and sudden-onset disasters — both those that make headlines and those that do not. Context News highlighted the 10 “most forgotten” emergencies that received the least media attention in 2024. Rise Against Hunger is responding in five of those countries: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Malawi, Niger and Zambia. Keep reading to learn about our work to alleviate hunger in these countries.
Providing Meals to Students in Burkina Faso
Escalating political instability and violence, climate change and prolonged droughts in Burkina Faso have led to the “world’s most neglected displacement crisis,” according to the Norwegian Refugee Council. This crisis has exacerbated food insecurity in the country, with millions of people displaced and 2.7 million facing hunger.
Rise Against Hunger is working on the HOPE Project with Hope for Burkina Futures, our in-country partner, to address nutritional needs in areas near Ouagadougou. The project provides daily school meals to 1,250 students. The students come from families that face food insecurity, which negatively impacts the children’s health and ability to learn. The school meals ensure the students’ nutritional needs are met, which improves their health and enables them to focus in class and succeed academically. The students’ families also receive weekly food assistance and education on nutrition, hygiene and health to support the health of entire communities and foster long-term food security.
Ensuring Children Have Access to Nutritious Meals in Burundi
In 2024, Burundi experienced severe floods. This affected 300,000 people and exacerbated poverty and food insecurity in the country. Rise Against Hunger works with partner Salesian Missions to implement school feeding programs that support the nutrition and education of children in Burundi. The school feeding programs ensure over 1,600 students have regular access to nutritious food. The meals support the children’s health and well-being, ensuring they can focus on their education and participate in extracurricular activities.
Promoting Food Security and Resilience for Farmers in Malawi
Malawi is classified as one of the poorest countries in the world; more than 50% of its population lives in poverty. Severe drought in recent years has further exacerbated this, and the country declared a state of emergency in 2024 after 44% of the land used to grow corn was destroyed by El Niño conditions. With the majority of Malawians relying on agriculture for their livelihoods, the drought’s impacts cannot be understated.
Since 2019, Rise Against Hunger and Foundation for Community Support Services (FOCUS) have implemented the Harvesting Prosperity and Resilience project to enhance food security and resilience for 3,100 smallholder farmers and their families in Malawi’s Karonga and Mzimba districts. As part of the project, farmers receive training on sustainable farming methods, nutrition and cooking, and are supported in establishing village savings and loan associations that improve their access to credit. Through an integrated approach that promotes climate-smart agricultural practices, gender equality and economic empowerment, the project works to improve the farmers’ crop production, income and nutrition.
Distributing Food to Vulnerable Populations in Niger
Conflict, political instability and climate change have led to a severe crisis in Niger, with millions facing hunger. Rise Against Hunger has worked alongside KAMRA since 2019 to combat food insecurity and support education in the country. Focusing on regions affected by conflict and displacement, Rise Against Hunger provides food to vulnerable populations, including internally displaced Nigeriens and Nigerian refugees. Rise Against Hunger meals are also served daily to children in multiple school feeding programs to support access to education and health for children in underserved areas of Niger.
Feeding Children at Schools in Zambia
Widespread drought has destroyed crops and worsened food insecurity throughout Zambia. Rise Against Hunger works alongside in-country partner Family Legacy Missions to address immediate nutritional needs through school feeding programs. The feeding programs are focused in rural areas where food insecurity is widespread and government assistance is limited. More than 350 children from kindergarten to grade 7 receive nutritious meals. These feeding programs have led to increased attendance rates and academic performance at the schools and improved the students’ nutritional statuses, supporting their bright futures!
Rise Against Hunger’s crisis relief efforts — in these countries and across the globe — are made possible by your support. To ensure we can respond in times of urgent need, please donate to our Global Emergency Relief Fund.