The Weeknd Donates Additional $2 Million to Gaza, Totaling $4.5 Million in Aid

The Weeknd, a multi-platinum global recording artist and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Goodwill Ambassador, has allocated an additional $2 million from his XO Humanitarian Fund to support WFP's humanitarian response efforts in Gaza. This latest contribution builds on the original $2.5 million that The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, directed to WFP's Gaza response in December 2023.

The $2 million donation will provide over 1,500 metric tons of fortified wheat flour, which can make over 18 million loaves of bread to help feed more than 157,000 Palestinians for one month. The previous $2.5 million donation provided 820 metric tons of food parcels to feed more than 173,000 Palestinians for two weeks.

The Weeknd is also making an urgent appeal to his fans to donate towards WFP's efforts in Gaza, where more than 1 million Palestinians face catastrophic levels of hunger. WFP is providing desperately needed food to over a million people across Gaza each month and is working to re-activate collapsed food systems, including supporting the operation of bakeries in the region.

Why this matters: The UN reports that hunger is reaching catastrophic levels in Gaza, with the entire population of 2.2 million facing some state of hunger crisis, emergency, or outright famine. The Weeknd's donations serve as a symbol of hope for the struggling Palestinian population, offering tangible relief and exemplifying the power of collective action in addressing humanitarian crises.

In total, Tesfaye has directed $4.5 million toward Gaza operations, and through the XO Humanitarian Fund, he has also sent $2 million to support WFP's emergency food assistance for women and children in Ethiopia. "Abel's generous support and advocacy is a prime example of how the private sector and individuals can show solidarity with those in need of assistance," said Corinne Fleischer, WFP Regional Director for the Middle East, Northern Africa and Eastern Europe.

Key Takeaways

• The Weeknd donates $2M to WFP for food aid in Gaza, adding to $2.5M earlier.
• The $2M will provide 1.5K metric tons of fortified wheat flour for 157K Palestinians.
• The Weeknd urges fans to donate to WFP's efforts as over 1M Palestinians face hunger.
• In total, The Weeknd has directed $4.5M to Gaza and $2M to Ethiopia for WFP.
• The Weeknd's donations symbolize hope and the power of collective action in crises.