Acute Food Insecurity and Malnutrition Rise for Sixth Consecutive Year in World’s Most Fragile Regions

Human Wrongs Watch Joint Report by EU/FAO/IFAD/UNHCR/UNICEF/WB/WFP*

In 2024, over 295 million people across 53 countries and territories faced acute hunger—an increase of almost 14 million people compared to 2023, while the number of people facing catastrophic levels of hunger reached a record high.

Malnutrition, particularly among children, reached extremely high levels, including in the Gaza Strip, Mali, Sudan, and Yemen. Nearly 38 million children under five were acutely malnourished across 26 nutrition crises.

The report also highlights a sharp increase in hunger driven by forced displacement, with nearly 95 million forcibly displaced people, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), asylum seekers and refugees, living in countries facing food crises such as, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Sudan, and Syria out of a global total of 128 million forcibly displaced people.

“This Global Report on Food Crises is another unflinching indictment of a world dangerously off course,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

“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.” 

Key drivers of acute food insecurity and malnutrition:

Conflict remained the top driver of acute food insecurity, affecting around 140 million people in 20 countries and territories.

Famine has been confirmed in Sudan, while other hotspots with people experiencing Catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity include the Gaza Strip, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali.

Economic shocks including inflation and currency devaluation, drove hunger in 15 countries affecting 59.4 million people – still nearly double pre-COVID 19 levels despite a modest decline from 2023.

Some of the largest and most protracted food crises were primarily driven by economic shocks, including in Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, and Yemen.

Weather extremes particularly El Niño-induced droughts and floods, pushed 18 countries into food crises affecting over 96 million people, with significant impacts in Southern Africa, Southern Asia and the Horn of Africa.

According to the GRFC outlook, hunger shocks will likely persist into 2025, as the Global Network anticipates the most significant reduction in humanitarian funding for food and nutrition crises in the report’s history.

Call for bold reset to break cycle of food crises  

Acute food insecurity and malnutrition have increased to record levels, yet global funding is experiencing its fastest decline in years, and political momentum is weakening.

Breaking the cycle of rising hunger and malnutrition requires a bold reset – one that prioritizes evidence-driven and impact-focused action.

This means pooling resources, scaling what works, and putting the needs and voices of affected communities at the heart of every response.

Beyond emergency aid, the Global Network Against Food Crises recommends investing in local food systems and integrated nutrition services to address long-term vulnerabilities and build resilience to shocks – especially in crisis-prone regions where 70 percent of rural households rely on agriculture for sustenance and livelihood.

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Quotes:

Hadja Lahbib, EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management: “This year’s Global Report on Food Crises paints yet another stark and unacceptable picture of rising hunger.

This is not merely a call to action — it is a moral imperative. At a time when funding cuts are straining the humanitarian system, we reaffirm our commitment to fight global hunger. We will not abandon the most vulnerable, especially in fragile and conflict-affected countries.

We will continue to champion and defend International Humanitarian Law. Today’s challenges are greater than ever — but so is our solidarity. Now is the time to act with unity and resolve, and to prove that even in the hardest times, humanity can and will rise to the challenge.”

QU Dongyu, Director-General, FAO: “As we launch the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises, we are cognizant that acute food insecurity is not just a crisis – it is a constant reality for millions of people, most of whom live in rural areas.

The path forward is clear: investment in emergency agriculture is critical, not just as a response, but as the most cost-effective solution to deliver significant long-lasting impact.”

Alvaro Lario, President, IFAD: “The report makes clear that humanitarian responses must go hand-in hand with investments in rural development and resilience building to create long-term stability that lasts beyond emergency interventions.

Rural communities – especially smallholder farmers – are central to food security, resilience, and growth. This is even more true in fragile settings.”

Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, UNHCR: “People who have been displaced show remarkable strength, but resilience alone can’t end hunger. As food insecurity worsens and humanitarian crises become more prolonged, we need to shift from emergency aid to sustainable responses.

That means creating real opportunities—access to land, livelihoods, markets and services—so people can feed themselves and their families, not just today, but well into the future.”

Catherine Russell, Executive Director, UNICEF:  “In a world of plenty, there is no excuse for children to go hungry or die of malnutrition. Hunger gnaws at the stomach of a child. It gnaws, too, at their dignity, their sense of safety, and their future. How can we continue to stand by when there is more than enough food to feed every hungry child in the world? How can we ignore what is happening in front of our eyes? 

Millions of children’s lives hang in the balance as funding is slashed to critical nutrition services.”

Axel van Trotsenburg, Senior Managing Director for Development Policy and Partnerships, World Bank:“The global hunger crisis threatens not just lives, but the stability and potential of entire societies. What is needed now is collective action so we can build a future free of hunger.”

Cindy McCain, Executive Director, WFP: “Like every other humanitarian organization, WFP is facing deep budget shortfalls which have forced drastic cuts to our food assistance programs.

Millions of hungry people have lost, or will soon lose, the critical lifeline we provide. We have tried and tested solutions to hunger and food insecurity. But we need the support of our donors and partners to implement them.”

Note:

Download the GFRC here  

The Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) is published  annually by the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) with analysis from the Food Security Information Network (FSIN).

About the GNAFC

The Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) is an international alliance of the United Nations, the European Union, governmental and non-governmental agencies working together to address food crises. a unique platform of key operational agencies, international financial institutions, member states and organisations jointly seeking to reduce and end hunger with evidence-based actions proven to deliver impact. 

Sudan, ‘the most devastating humanitarian and displacement crisis in the world’. © UNFPA/Karel Prinsloo | Central African Republic, 2024. Newly arrived Sudanese refugees at Korsi refugee camp.