• Acute hunger affected over 295 million people across 53 countries in 2024.

• Conflicts, climate shocks, and economic pressures cited as key drivers.

• Nigeria, Sudan, and the DRC among the worst-hit nations.

Global food insecurity reached alarming levels in 2024, fueled by ongoing conflicts, climate shocks, and economic instability. The call for urgent, coordinated action is growing louder across affected regions.

On May 16, the World Food Crisis Network released its 2025 edition of the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC). The report, produced with input from UN agencies, the European Union, and the World Bank, indicates a sixth consecutive annual rise in acute hunger. Over 295 million people in 53 countries experienced acute food insecurity in 2024, with prevalence among surveyed populations rising to 22.6%, up from 21.5% in 2023.

The number of people facing extreme food insecurity more than doubled, reaching 1.9 million; the highest level recorded since monitoring began in 2016.

As in past years, conflict remains the leading driver of acute hunger, affecting nearly 140 million people. “Famine has been confirmed in Sudan,” the FAO reported, listing Gaza, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali as other hotspots experiencing catastrophic food insecurity.

Economic shocks such as inflation and currency devaluation impacted over 59.4 million people. Meanwhile, droughts and floods linked to El Niño conditions affected more than 96 million people, particularly in Southern Africa, the Horn of Africa, and South Asia.

The 10 countries with the highest numbers of people facing acute food insecurity are Nigeria, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Syria.

The GRFC also warned that escalating geopolitical tensions, deepening conflicts, and cuts to international aid could worsen conditions in fragile states.

“Long-standing crises are now being compounded by another, more recent one: the dramatic reduction in lifesaving humanitarian funding to respond to these needs. This is more than a failure of systems – it is a failure of humanity. Hunger in the 21st century is indefensible. We cannot respond to empty stomachs with empty hands and turned backs,” said UN Secretary General António Guterres.