Millions Face Rising Acute Food Insecurity, According to New FAO-WFP Report

Millions of people across 22 countries and territories may be pushed into acute food insecurity by May 2025, according to the latest FAO-WFP Hunger Hotspots Report. Ongoing and increasing conflict in many areas of the world, along with economic hardships and extreme weather caused by climate change and the La Niña phenomenon, are behind this significant increase in both the magnitude and the severity of acute food insecurity.

The Sudan and Gaza top the list of countries/territories of highest concern, as do South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali. Populations in these regions are already facing famine or the risk of famine (IPC Phase 5 food insecurity) and require immediate and significant humanitarian aid.

Other hunger hotspots include Chad, Lebanon, Myanmar, Mozambique, Nigeria, the Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, the Niger, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi, Somalia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Ongoing conflict in many of these countries/territories has disrupted food production and food access, as well as displacing large swathes of the population and severely hampering income generation and purchasing power. Humanitarian organizations in many of these areas are also facing reduced access to populations in need, exacerbating already dire situations.

Extreme and variable weather events also continue to contribute to worsening food insecurity. These climate change impacts will likely be further exacerbated in many areas by the La Niña phenomenon, which is expected to last through March 2025. Many regions will experience variable rainfall patterns as a result of this phenomenon, carrying with them risk of increased flooding in some regions and below-average precipitation in others.

Macroeconomic challenges, including global income inequality and high debt levels, will continue to further undermine both food security and poverty reduction outcomes in these 22 countries/territories, as well as in other countries and regions around the world.

The report highlights the urgent need for increased funding for food and livelihoods assistance to prevent starvation and death in these regions in the coming months. It also emphasizes the longer term need to invest in solutions that take aim at the underlying causes of food insecurity, including conflict and political instability. By understanding and addressing these drivers, policymakers can both prevent famine and acute food insecurity from spreading and reduce future dependency on emergency humanitarian food aid.

Sara Gustafson is a freelance communications consultant.