Global Hunger Crisis Deepens As 295M People Face Acute Food Insecurity

By Senior Reporter

The world is facing an unprecedented food crisis, with acute food insecurity and child malnutrition rising for the sixth consecutive year in 2024. According to the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), over 295 million people across 53 countries and territories experienced acute hunger, an increase of 13.7 million from 2023. This alarming trend is driven by conflict, economic shocks, climate extremes, and forced displacement, pushing millions to the brink in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.

The report highlights that conflict remains 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, nearly double pre-COVID-19 levels.

Climate 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. The number of people facing catastrophic hunger more than doubled over the same period, reaching 1.9 million, the highest on record since the GRFC began tracking in 2016.

Malnutrition among children has reached extremely high levels, with nearly 38 million children under five acutely malnourished across 26 nutrition crises. Countries such as the Gaza Strip, Mali, Sudan, and Yemen are among those struggling with severe child malnutrition. Forcibly displaced people, including internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, and refugees, are also disproportionately affected, with nearly 95 million living in countries facing food crises.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that the Global Report on Food Crises is a stark reminder of a world dangerously off course. He stressed that long-standing crises are compounded by the dramatic reduction in lifesaving humanitarian funding, which is a failure of humanity. Guterres urged for immediate action, stating that hunger in the 21st century is indefensible.

To break the cycle of rising hunger and malnutrition, the Global Network Against Food Crises recommends a bold reset, prioritizing evidence-driven and impact-focused action. This includes investing in local food systems and integrated nutrition services to address long-term vulnerabilities and build resilience to shocks. Leaders from various organizations, including the EU Commissioner, FAO Director-General, and UNICEF Executive Director, have echoed this call to action, emphasizing the need for collective action, investment in emergency agriculture, and sustainable responses to food crises.

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