Bonn – September 15, 2026 -- The "WDR 2 Weihnachtswunder" charity campaign is returning for its fifth year, with the aid alliance Aktion Deutschland Hilft and German radio station WDR 2 launching a donation drive to fight world hunger.
Nearly 50 projects will receive funding this year, the most since the campaign began
Donations collected through the campaign will support close to 50 projects run by Aktion Deutschland Hilft's partner organizations, providing everything from emergency food and clean water to longer-term support for agriculture and livelihoods. Local partners on the ground assess needs, identify vulnerable people, and implement the projects.
Since 2022, the partnership has raised nearly 55 million euros against hunger
The 2025 edition of the campaign alone brought in 18.6 million euros. Maria Rüther, chief executive of Aktion Deutschland Hilft, said the campaign shows how much solidarity can emerge when many people act together, turning compassion into concrete help.
According to the UN's SOFI 2026 World Food Security report, roughly 645 million people -- 7.8 percent of the world's population -- suffered from hunger in 2025, meaning nearly one in every 13 people went hungry.
Germany's humanitarian aid budget has been cut by about 50 percent
The federal government's humanitarian aid fund was recently reduced to just one billion euros a year, roughly half its previous level, making privately funded initiatives like this one more critical. Part of this year's donations will also support the food bank network Tafeln NRW.
Africa remains the focus, with one in five people there facing hunger
Countries including Sudan, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo face particularly severe humanitarian conditions due to ongoing violent conflicts. Alliance organizations are also active in Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen, supporting children, women, older people, and people with disabilities through food distribution, emergency nutrition, water and sanitation improvements, and income support.
Radio hosts will broadcast live from Mönchengladbach for five days
Under the campaign's "wish for music, then donate" format, listeners can request their favorite song in exchange for a donation. Hosts Sabine Heinrich, Steffi Neu, Jan Malte Andresen, and Thomas Bug will broadcast around the clock from Europaplatz in Mönchengladbach between December 12 and 16, turning the Lower Rhine city's Christmas market into the center of the nationwide fundraising effort.