Global food insecurity and malnutrition worsened significantly in 2024, as nearly 295 million people across 53 countries suffered from acute hunger, according to a sobering report released on Friday by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and its humanitarian partners.
The staggering figure represents an increase of 13.7 million people compared to 2023, marking the sixth consecutive year that food insecurity has risen, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected regions. The findings are contained in the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises, published by the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC)—a coalition led by the FAO, the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and other governmental and non-governmental organizations.
A Crisis Deepening Beyond Reach
In his foreword to the report, UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the worsening statistics as “another unflinching indictment of a world dangerously off course.” He issued a stern warning, noting that “hunger and malnutrition are spreading faster than our ability to respond, yet globally, a third of all food produced is lost or wasted.”
Guterres also highlighted a critical new obstacle: a dramatic drop in global humanitarian funding. “Long-standing crises are now being compounded by a newer one—chronic underfunding. Our capacity to provide life-saving aid is being outpaced by the rising scale of need,” he said.
Conflict: The Leading Cause of Hunger
While hunger is driven by a complex interplay of factors—including poverty, economic instability, and environmental disasters—the report emphasizes that armed conflict remains the single largest contributor to acute food insecurity.
The GNAFC report identifies Sudan, the Gaza Strip, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali as regions where hunger has reached catastrophic levels. In parts of Sudan, famine conditions were confirmed during 2024. The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip also deteriorated sharply, narrowly avoiding famine thanks to emergency food assistance.
However, the report warns that Gaza remains “at risk of sliding back into famine” between May and September 2025, should the ongoing military operations and blockade persist.
Displacement Fuels the Food Crisis
The impact of forced displacement on global hunger was another key theme in the report. Out of the 128 million people forcibly displaced worldwide in 2024, nearly 95 million were living in countries already struggling with food crises. These include refugees, internally displaced persons, and asylum seekers who often lack reliable access to food, healthcare, and employment.
The intersection of displacement and hunger is particularly visible in conflict zones where basic infrastructure has collapsed, and humanitarian access remains limited.
Economic Shocks and Weather Disasters
Beyond conflict and displacement, the report attributes significant food insecurity to economic shocks, which affected 15 countries and pushed 59.4 million people into acute hunger. Countries such as Afghanistan, Yemen, South Sudan, and Syria were highlighted for facing severe inflation, currency devaluation, and surging food prices that put basic meals out of reach for millions.
In parallel, climate-related disasters and extreme weather events were cited as driving factors of hunger in 18 countries, affecting over 96 million people. The hardest-hit regions included Southern Asia, Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa, where floods, prolonged droughts, and cyclones devastated crops, livestock, and livelihoods.
A Call for Urgent Global Action
In a joint statement, the FAO and WFP called for “urgent and coordinated global efforts to reverse the trend of rising hunger.” They appealed to international donors to increase humanitarian funding, expand food systems resilience, and invest in long-term solutions such as agricultural development and climate adaptation.
Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the World Food Programme, emphasized the need for political will:
“We cannot allow conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability to continue robbing millions of their basic right to food. The world has the means to stop this crisis—what’s missing is the commitment to act,” she said.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu also added, “Building resilient food systems in fragile regions is not only a humanitarian necessity but a moral and economic imperative. Hunger should never be used as a weapon, nor should it be tolerated as a byproduct of indifference.”
Prospects for 2025: A Grim Outlook
The report concludes with a grim outlook for 2025, warning that the global hunger crisis is likely to worsen without decisive intervention. The ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and the Sahel region, along with the worsening impact of climate change and economic instability, are expected to continue driving hunger in the world’s most vulnerable areas.
The GNAFC stressed that without increased investment in conflict prevention, disaster preparedness, and social protection systems, millions more could fall into severe food insecurity in the coming months.
