Many People Still Hungry: Two Famines in 2025
Many People Still Hungry: Two Famines in 2025
Introduction
A new report says that in 2025, about 266 million people in 47 countries did not have enough food. For the first time, two places had famine: parts of Gaza and Sudan. Since 2020, more than 20% of people in these countries are hungry. In 2016, it was only 11.3%.
Main Body
Conflict and war are the biggest reasons for hunger. They affect 147 million people in 19 countries. Bad weather is the main reason in 16 countries (87 million people). Economic problems are the main reason in 12 countries (29 million people). Ten countries have most of the hungry people. Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo have the most people. Gaza and South Sudan have the highest percentage of hungry people. In 2025, 1.4 million people had very extreme hunger. This is nine times more than in 2016. Gaza had 640,700 people with famine (32% of its people). Sudan had 637,200 (1% of its people). Other places with extreme hunger: South Sudan, Yemen, Haiti, Mali. Also, 39 million people in 32 countries had emergency hunger. Many children are very sick from not enough food. 35.5 million children are malnourished. 10 million of them are very sick. 9.2 million pregnant women are also malnourished. 85.1 million people had to leave their homes because of hunger. The UN says that hunger and displacement make each other worse. Money for food help went down a lot in 2025. Humanitarian food funding fell by 39%. Development aid fell by 15%. The United States cut its money by 57%. Germany gave more money than the US for the first time. Other countries also cut aid. The report says this will make it hard to help hungry people.
Conclusion
The report says that hunger is a big problem that stays for many years. It is worst in countries with war. Money for help is going down. Without more work to stop wars and give more aid, many poor countries will have more hungry people in 2026 and later.
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Global Food Insecurity Stays at Record Highs, with Two Famines and Falling Humanitarian Aid in 2025
Introduction
The 2026 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), put together by 18 humanitarian and development groups including UN agencies and the EU, reports that about 266 million people in 47 areas faced severe food shortages or worse in 2025. For the first time in the report's ten-year history, famine was confirmed in two different conflict zones – parts of Gaza and Sudan – in the same year. The report also shows that the share of people facing severe hunger has stayed above 20% every year since 2020, almost double the 11.3% seen in 2016.
Main Body
The report states that conflict and violence were the main cause of severe food shortages, affecting 147.4 million people in 19 countries – more than half of all those facing extreme hunger. Weather extremes were the main factor in 16 countries (87.5 million people), while economic problems led in 12 countries (29.8 million). Ten nations – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen – accounted for two-thirds of all people experiencing high levels of acute hunger. Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo had the highest numbers, while Gaza and South Sudan had the largest share of their populations affected. At the most severe level of the IPC scale (Phase 5), 1.4 million people in six areas faced disaster-level hunger in 2025 – more than nine times the number in 2016. The Gaza Strip had 640,700 people in famine conditions (32% of its population), the highest share globally, followed by Sudan with 637,200 (1% of its population). Other places with extreme shortages included South Sudan (83,500), Yemen (41,200), Haiti (8,400), and Mali (2,600). In addition, over 39 million people in 32 countries were in emergency conditions (Phase 4). Child malnutrition was severe: 35.5 million children were acutely malnourished across 23 countries, including nearly 10 million suffering from severe acute malnutrition – a life-threatening condition. Furthermore, 25.7 million children had moderate acute malnutrition, and 9.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women were acutely malnourished. Forced displacement made the crisis worse: 85.1 million people were displaced in food-crisis areas; internally displaced persons made up 62.6 million, while refugees and asylum seekers numbered 22.5 million. Barham Salih, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said that forced displacement and food insecurity create a cycle that humanitarian aid alone cannot break. Funding for humanitarian and development food and nutrition responses dropped sharply in 2025, falling to levels last seen in 2016–2017. According to the report, humanitarian food-sector funding decreased by about 39% from 2024, while development assistance fell by at least 15%. The United States was responsible for three-quarters of the overall decline in aid from the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), cutting its contributions by 57%. As a result, Germany ($29.1 billion) became the largest donor for the first time, surpassing the US ($29 billion). Other major donors also reduced aid: Germany by 17.4%, France by 10.9%, the United Kingdom by 10.8%, and Japan by 5.6%. The report warns that this funding drop will limit the ability of governments and humanitarian groups to respond effectively to ongoing crises. Looking ahead to 2026, the report expects that the situation will stay very serious in many areas. Ongoing conflicts, climate variability, and global economic uncertainty – including risks from the conflict in the Middle East – are likely to keep conditions the same or make them worse. The US-Israeli war on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have added new pressures, with possible disruptions to energy and fertiliser trade that could affect global food markets. Alvaro Lario, head of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development, warned that even if the conflict ended immediately, food price shocks and inflation would probably continue for six months. In West Africa and the Sahel, conflict and persistent inflation are expected to keep pressure on Nigeria, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso; Nigeria alone is projected to see an additional 4.1 million people facing acute hunger in 2026. In East Africa, failed rains across the Horn of Africa are expected to deepen suffering in Somalia and Kenya, where drought, insecurity, high food prices, and reduced aid are likely to drive worsening conditions. The report also notes that data gaps are growing, with the number of countries able to produce reliable food security assessments at its lowest level in a decade, suggesting that the true scale of hunger may be underestimated.
Conclusion
The 2026 Global Report on Food Crises highlights that acute food insecurity has become a long-term and deeply rooted global challenge, mostly in conflict-affected countries and made worse by falling international funding. Without a long-term effort to solve the root causes – especially ending conflicts and increasing investment in both humanitarian aid and local food production – the world's most vulnerable countries will probably continue to suffer a much larger share of the hunger problem through 2026 and beyond.
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Global Acute Food Insecurity Persists at Record Levels, with Dual Famines and Declining Humanitarian Funding in 2025
Introduction
The 2026 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), compiled by a coalition of 18 humanitarian and development partners including UN agencies and the EU, documents that approximately 266 million individuals across 47 territories experienced acute food insecurity or worse in 2025. For the first time in the report's ten-year history, famine conditions were confirmed in two separate conflict-affected areas—parts of the Gaza Strip and Sudan—within the same year. The report further indicates that the proportion of analysed populations facing acute hunger has remained above 20% annually since 2020, nearly double the 11.3% recorded in 2016.
Main Body
The report identifies conflict and violence as the primary driver of acute food insecurity, affecting 147.4 million people across 19 countries—more than half of all individuals facing severe hunger globally. Weather extremes were the principal factor in 16 countries (87.5 million people), while economic shocks led in 12 countries (29.8 million). Ten nations—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Sudan, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Yemen—accounted for two-thirds of all people experiencing high levels of acute hunger. Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo topped the list in absolute numbers, while Gaza and South Sudan had the highest share of their populations affected. At the most extreme end of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) scale, 1.4 million people across six territories faced catastrophic conditions (Phase 5) in 2025—a more than ninefold increase since 2016. The Gaza Strip recorded 640,700 individuals in famine conditions (32% of its population), the highest share globally, followed by Sudan with 637,200 (1% of its population). Other locations with catastrophic shortages included South Sudan (83,500), Yemen (41,200), Haiti (8,400), and Mali (2,600). Additionally, over 39 million people in 32 countries were classified in emergency conditions (Phase 4). Child malnutrition figures were severe: 35.5 million children were acutely malnourished across 23 countries, including nearly 10 million suffering from severe acute malnutrition—a life-threatening condition. A further 25.7 million children experienced moderate acute malnutrition, and 9.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women were acutely malnourished. Forced displacement compounded the crisis, with 85.1 million people displaced across food-crisis contexts; internally displaced persons constituted 62.6 million, while refugees and asylum seekers numbered 22.5 million. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih noted that forced displacement and food insecurity form a vicious cycle that humanitarian aid alone cannot break. Humanitarian and development financing for food and nutrition responses declined sharply in 2025, falling to levels last seen in 2016–2017. According to the report, humanitarian food-sector funding dropped by approximately 39% from 2024, while development assistance contracted by at least 15%. The United States drove three-quarters of the overall decline in aid from the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), cutting its contributions by 57%, which resulted in Germany ($29.1 billion) surpassing the US ($29 billion) as the largest donor for the first time. Other major donors also reduced aid: Germany by 17.4%, France by 10.9%, the United Kingdom by 10.8%, and Japan by 5.6%. The report warns that this funding contraction will limit the capacity of governments and humanitarian actors to respond effectively to ongoing crises. Looking ahead to 2026, the report projects that severity levels will remain critical in multiple contexts. Ongoing conflicts, climate variability, and global economic uncertainty—including risks from the conflict in the Middle East—are expected to sustain or worsen conditions. The US-Israeli war on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have added new pressures, with potential disruptions to energy and fertiliser trade that could spill over into global food markets. Alvaro Lario, head of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development, cautioned that even if the conflict ended immediately, food price shocks and inflation would likely persist for six months. In West Africa and the Sahel, conflict and persistent inflation are expected to keep pressure on Nigeria, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso; Nigeria alone is projected to see an additional 4.1 million people facing acute hunger in 2026. In East Africa, failed rains across the Horn of Africa are expected to deepen suffering in Somalia and Kenya, where drought, insecurity, high food prices, and reduced aid are likely to drive worsening conditions. The report also notes that data gaps are growing, with the number of countries able to produce reliable food security assessments at its lowest level in a decade, suggesting the true scale of hunger may be underestimated.
Conclusion
The 2026 Global Report on Food Crises underscores that acute food insecurity has become a persistent and structurally entrenched global challenge, concentrated in conflict-affected countries and exacerbated by declining international funding. Without a sustained effort to address the underlying drivers—particularly conflict resolution and increased investment in both humanitarian aid and local food production—the world’s most fragile nations are likely to continue bearing a disproportionate share of the hunger burden through 2026 and beyond.