In 2024, more than 295 million people faced severe hunger and the outlook was “dark” for funding cuts for aid efforts.
The Global Hanger last year hit a new high with a “desolate” outlook for 2025, according to a UN-backed report.
Acute food insecurity and child malnutrition rose for the sixth consecutive year in 2024, affecting more than 295 million people across 53 countries and territory, and the Global Report on the 2025 Food Crisis (GFRC) issued on Friday warned.
Conflicts, weather, extreme shocks and economic shocks were identified as major drivers.
The report provides analysis through collaborative efforts with UN agencies, saying it has been six consecutive rises in 5% hunger levels over 2023.
Overall, 22.6% of the worst local populations experienced crisis level hunger.
The conflict was a major cause of hunger, affecting nearly 140 million people in 20 countries in 2024. This has faced “devastating” levels of food insecurity in Gaza, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali. Sudan has confirmed the situation of hunger.
Economic shocks such as inflation and currency devaluation have helped push 59.4 million people into the food crisis in 15 countries, including Syria and Yemen.
Extreme weather, particularly droughts and floods caused by El Nino, have put 18 countries at risk, affecting more than 96 million people, particularly in the Southern Africa, South Asia and the Horn of Africa.
“The empty stomach, the empty hand, turn your back.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the report “anxious prosecution of dangerous off-course around the world.”
“From Gaza and Sudan to Yemen and Mali, catastrophic hunger driven by conflict and other factors has hit record highs, pushing households to the edge of starvation,” Guterres said.
“This is more than a system failure. It is a human failure. The 21st century hunger cannot be defended. It cannot respond to the empty stomach and the empty stomach,” he added.
Afghanistan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen had both countries with the highest numbers of people and the most acute food insecurity of the population.
The report found in 2024 that “the number of people facing high levels of sharp food insecurity has almost tripled.”
Furthermore, 26 highly acute countries have also been detected as having a nutritional crisis.
The biggest hits in the Middle East and North Africa
Sudan, Yemen, Mali and Palestine faced “the most serious nutritional crisis” last year.
In July 2024, hunger was confirmed at the Zamzam camp in North Darfur, Sudan. It was then identified in four more regions of the country from October to November, with the addition of “in five other regions. [areas] “Dec. 2024 to May 2025.”
Hunger was predicted in March 2024 in Palestine, but was avoided due to the expansion of humanitarian aid. However, as the war in Gaza continues and Israel’s lockdown on aid remains, the report found that “acute food anxiety, malnutrition and mortality” is likely to pass the hunger ward threshold by September.
Last year, 15 countries, including Ukraine, Kenya and Guatemala, alleviated food insecurity, which was mitigated due to increased humanitarian aid, improved harvests, mitigating inflation and reducing conflict.
However, the report warned that the outlook is bleak as major donor countries have cut humanitarian funds significantly.
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