The United Nations World Food Program feeds on average about 90 million people per year, twothirds of them children. It has offices in 80 countries. Despite the scale of this effort and the large quantities of food involved, forward planning is very challenging because of the small financial reserves on hand at any time. Natural disasters and conflict generate unpredictable demand for food. The WFP is evolving successful strategies to address not only immediate needs but underlying causes of food crises; partnerships have a significant and essential role in this success.