The Weeknd has pledged $2million (£1.6million) from his XO Humanitarian Fund to help feed families in war-torn Gaza.
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The singer’s – real name Abel Tesfaye – XO Humanitarian Fund helps combat global hunger. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), the donation will provide over 1,500 metric tons of fortified wheat flour, which will be used to make roughly 18 million loaves of bread that can help feed more than 157,000 Palestinians for a month.
Tesfaye, who is a United Nations World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador, had previously donated $2.5million (£1.9million) at the end of 2023 which provided 820 metric tons of food parcels to feed more than 173,000 Palestinians for two weeks.
He is also calling on fans to donate whatever they can to the World Food Programme’s humanitarian efforts.
Corinne Fleischer, WFP’s Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Region, shared in a statement: “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.”
In 2021, The Weeknd became a WFP Goodwill Ambassador and set up his XO Humanitarian Fund with the World Food Program USA the following year. Between the fund, donations from fans and Tesfaye’s partners, $6.5million (£5.1million) has been raised to provide relief to people with limited access to food.
In other news, The Weeknd and Travis Scott joined producer Mike Dean onstage during his show in Los Angeles last month.
Tesfaye took to the stage to deliver a synthy cover version of ‘In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song)’ from the 1977 David Lynch film Eraserhead. He then assisted on a joint rendition of his unreleased cut ‘Take Me Back To LA’.