Opinions

In Memoriam: The US Famine Early Warning System, Known as FEWS, as well as SERVIR
The program which many experts considered to be the most effective at stopping famines and starvation and arguably the single most valuable aid program of all time, has ended its 40 year run of success, as the White House shut it down, alongside hundreds of other global initiatives, without review, ...

Questions to Ask about Aid from USAID
The US Government Agency that Brings Aid - USAID USAID, started in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy. Estimates are that some 3 billion people in 150 countries have benefited directly from U.S. food assistance . The Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, a part of USAID, identifies fo...

USAID Adds Value in Disaster Response, Says Former Hunger Notes Chair
Opinion piece from the former WHES Board Chair: Most people do not realize what a huge mistake it would be to eliminate the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as appears to be underway here in February 2025. It would be like throwing the prove...

Film Mischaracterizes Humanitarian Aid Work
[Editor's note: The following opinion piece was written by career aid worker Amy Leah Potter in response to the recent release of the film "Dirty Angels" which has upset many people in the aid community for its depiction of humanitarian NGOs serving as shells to hide army combatants. The mov...

Remembering Don Kennedy, Human Biologist
Don Kennedy, who passed away four years ago, was founder of the unique Human Biology program at Stanford University, where he served as a role model as arguably the most influential teacher of his generation, particularly teaching about intersections of biology, ecology and policies. In addition...

The World Can Feed Itself – It Needs the Will
In this opinion piece, Dominic MacSorley, former CEO of Concern Worldwide writes from the Sudan about the world hunger situation. He says: "Gaza and Ukraine have been most prominent in the public eye but they form only a fraction of the 117 million people experiencing acute food insecurity as ...

What War in Ukraine means for World Food Supply
This opinion piece in the New York Times looks into the ramifications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing disruption of an agricultural breadbasket of Europe. Since staple grains are the food of the World's poorest, Bangladesh, Sudan and Yemen as well as many Middle Eastern countries...

Chef Jose Andres on Ukrainian Refugee Food Situation
Chef Jose Andres of the World Central Kitchen Organization describes his experience on the Ukrainian-Polish border helping refugees fleeing the Russian Invasion of Ukraine....

SAHEL Will Need Help as Famine is Coming
In this Newsweek Opinion piece, William Lambers reports how 35 million people will have virtually no food to eat in the coming lean season....
Assistance to Press Freedom can Fight Famine
“in the terrible history of famines in the world, no substantial famine has ever occurred in any independent and democratic country with a relatively free press” - Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate and author of...