2009 proved to be another challenging year for WFP. Just as the number of hungry people worldwide grew to more than 1 billion - the highest number on record - the Programme also faced shrinking humanitarian safe space to reach people, with unprecedented attacks on WFP staff and other humanitarian workers. Despite these challenges, WFP was able to provide life-saving food and nutrition assistance for 101.8 million people affected by conflict, storms, droughts, displacement, financial crises and other shocks that left them without food; 84 million of these beneficiaries were women and children.