The United Nations World Food Programme, which relies on the U.S. for nearly half its budget, is closing its Southern Africa bureau due to funding constraints, the agency said on Monday as the region struggles to withstand a severe drought.

WFP is closing its Southern Africa bureau due to US aid cuts, impacting food assistance amid a severe regional drought.

The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has announced that it will close its Johannesburg office, which oversees operations in southern Africa, and merge its southern and eastern operations into a single regional hub in Nairobi,

The UN food agency urgently requires $620 million to ensure continued support to crisis-affected people across the Sahel and in Nigeria over the next six months.

The World Food Programme is hampered by the Israeli blockade that began alongside the decision to continue the ceasefire into Ramzan

The three UN agencies reiterated their commitment to promoting gender equality as a fundamental component of achieving food security, reducing poverty, and fostering resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.