Nearly a quarter mn refugees in Egypt could lose food assistance by next month as a USD 21 mn funding gap to keep assistance running until the end of the year squeezes the budget, World Food Program (WFP) Egypt Director Jean-Pierre de Margerie tells EnterpriseAM. To close the gap, the UN agency has launched a campaign it’s dubbing “#NowNotLater” to mobilize donor support and avoid the shutdown.

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Budget cuts have already seen tens of thousands lose access to EGP 750 worth of monthly cash assistance: From a high-water mark of 250k people, 235k received assistance in March. That figure fell to 160k last month. The cash payouts provide essential support to vulnerable families, helping them buy food staples that keep them out of starvation.

More cuts could come as early as August. Without new funding, the WFP may be forced to suspend its cash assistance program altogether by August or September. That would leave tens of thousands of families — most of them Sudanese refugees who fled ongoing conflict — without any regular means of food support.

What would cutting support mean? “We’ve already heard of families going back to Sudan because they simply cannot afford to survive here,” de Margerie said. “Some have reportedly died in the crossfire after returning.” Others try the illegal crossing to Europe: The number of such crossings from Egypt has risen significantly since Sudan’s civil war began. There are also rising concerns about vulnerable families being pushed into child labor.

The WFP is hoping the private sector could help close the gap. While the organization has traditionally relied on government donors, it is now actively engaging private companies and individuals to diversify its funding base.Through the #NowNotLater campaign, its website, and ShareTheMeal platform, it’s actively seeking public support. Though private support is growing, de Margerie says it must scale faster to keep the lights on.

Spending on refugees “is not a cost or an expenditure, it is an investment — an investment in people,” de Margerie said, adding that supporting refugees and vulnerable Egyptians brings long-term economic and social benefits, with a strong multiplier effect for local communities. Meeting basic food and nutrition needs helps avoid negative outcomes like poor educational achievement and reduced future productivity. The impact of WFP’s work, he said, goes beyond immediate relief — it contributes to stronger, more resilient societies

It’s not only the WFP facing tough financial choices, with the entire humanitarian and development community globally having to squeeze budgets and look for alternative sources of finances, de Margerie told us. The UNHCR is similarly staring into a USD 97.9 mn budgetary black hole in Egypt amidst a rising refugee crisis, according to a June 2025 report (pdf). The UNHCR has so far secured just 29% of its USD 137.7 mn annual financial requirements to support the 992k refugees registered with the agency in Egypt.

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