The Weeknd donates $2m, providing 18m loaves of bread to starving Gazans

Canadian singer Abel Tesfaye, known by his stage name The Weeknd, has donated $2 million through his charity XO Humanitarian Fund in an effort to provide 18 million loaves of bread to help the starving families in Gaza, the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP) announced.

“With famine looming in Gaza, Abel’s generous support will provide vital relief for thousands of Palestinian families who battle the grip of hunger every day. We are tremendously grateful for his contribution, compassion, and for his unwavering advocacy for WFP and the people of Palestine,” said Corinne Fleischer, the WFP’s Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe.

According to a news release from the WFP, The Weeknd’s donation will provide over 1,500 metric tonnes of fortified wheat flour, which can make over 18 million loaves of bread and help feed more than 157,000 Palestinians for one month.

The funding builds on the original $2.5 million, equivalent to four million emergency meals, that the singer directed to WFP’s Gaza response in December 2023. It provided 820 metric tonnes of food parcels to feed more than 173,000 Palestinians for two weeks.

Additionally, The Weeknd is “making an urgent appeal to fans, calling on them to give what they can by donating towards WFP’s efforts in Gaza,” the WFP stated, adding that more than one million Palestinians face catastrophic levels of hunger across Gaza and need urgent support.

“We are very grateful for Abel’s continued support as WFP works to respond to the urgent hunger crisis in Gaza,” said Barron Segar, the President and CEO of WFP USA.

“Hunger is a human-made problem, and as such, it is solvable. We have enough food in this world to feed everyone; all we need is the funding and safe access to make it happen. Thanks to Abel’s designation, families and children will receive the food they so desperately need.”

The Weeknd, appointed a Goodwill Ambassador in October 2021, has actively supported WFP’s global hunger-relief mission through personal donations and the XO Humanitarian Fund established in partnership with World Food Program USA, the organisation detailed. The singer, his partners and fans have raised $6.5 million for the Fund, directing $4.5 million toward Gaza operations.

Following Israel’s brutal retaliation after Hamas attacks on October 7, over 34,388 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and 1,170 Israelis have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources. Israeli aggression over the past six months has triggered a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with the UN warning that famine is imminent.