The World Food Program office in Johannesburg has shut down following major reductions in USAID assistance

The UN World Food Program (WFP) has closed its Southern Africa bureau in Johannesburg, South Africa, the agency announced on Monday.

The move comes after the administration of US President Donald Trump announced last week that it was terminating 90% of US Agency for International Development (USAID) contracts. The administration cited a failure to advance America's national interests, and effectively halted $60 billion in humanitarian spending worldwide.

WFP executive director Cindy McCain announced the bureau closure in an email, according to Bloomberg. "We have reached the difficult decision to close WFP's regional bureau for southern Africa in Johannesburg," McCain wrote, adding that "challenging times demand some difficult choices."

The WFP will merge its southern and East Africa operations into a single regional office in Nairobi, Kenya, spokesperson Tomson Phiri told the Associated Press. Despite the changes, he emphasized that food programs will continue, reaffirming the WFP's commitment to serving vulnerable communities efficiently.

The US has been the largest donor to the WFP, contributing approximately $4.5 billion of its $9.8 billion budget last year.

The funding constraints come at a critical time for Southern Africa, which has been grappling with severe drought conditions. A drought triggered by El Nino, which slashed corn harvests by as much as 70%, last year forced Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia to declare a state of national emergency.

The WFP has been facing funding challenges in the region, having raised just one-fifth of the $400 million needed for drought response efforts last year.

However, the agency has expressed its commitment to continue serving vulnerable communities despite the challenges. "The goal is to stretch every dollar and target maximum resources to our frontline teams," Reuters quoted Phiri as saying. 

READ MORE: USAID freeze offers South Africa opportunity for new funding model - analyst

According to the WFP, the organization delivers food aid to over 150 million people across 120 countries. Recognized for its humanitarian efforts, it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.

In collaboration with the WFP, Russian fertilizer giant Uralchem Group has donated over 111,000 tons of vital fertilizers to Malawi, Kenya, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe since 2022.