Today (Mar. 3), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced it has officially partnered with its Goodwill Ambassador Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye to launch the XO Humanitarian Fund, Powered by World Food Programme. The new fund will support the organization’s response to an unprecedented hunger crisis in 2022 which threatens to unleash starvation, destabilization and mass migration around the world.
Conflict, extreme weather, rising costs ,and the continuing impacts of COVID-19 are fueling a global hunger crisis. With The Weeknd’s support, the U.N. World Food Programme is saving the lives of families and communities facing starvation with this new call to action.
“The goal with this fund is to provide immediate life-saving support to people who are on the brink of starvation. I’m so thankful to have WFP as a partner and to further expand our reach to those who need it most,” said The Weeknd.
As the son of Ethiopian immigrants to Canada, The Weeknd feels strongly about using his reach, resources, and influence to give back to his homeland and other communities in need. The Weeknd has been a passionate advocate and generous supporter of the U.N. World food Programme’s work, contributing $1.8 million to date.
In related recent news, The Weeknd previously postponed an announcement about his upcoming show in light of the rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia.
On Wednesday night (Feb. 23), the Toronto star took to Twitter to get fans excited for Dawn FM Experience — his immersive and theatrical performance for Amazon Prime Video. “LET’S GOOOOOOOO,” he wrote. The post coincided with the news of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which made it appear as if the singer was responding directly to the international attack. As a result of the confusion, The Weeknd revealed he was pushing back further statements about the show.
To donate directly to the fund, which is managed by World Food Program USA, you can do so here.