UNITED NATIONS: Acute hunger reached alarming new heights in 2024, with more than 295 million people worldwide suffering from severe food insecurity — the highest number on record, according to a UN-backed report released Friday. The outlook for 2025 is described as “bleak” as funding for humanitarian aid plummets.
The Global Report on Food Crises, compiled by a coalition of international agencies and NGOs, found that 295.3 million people faced acute hunger across 53 of the 65 countries assessed — nearly a quarter of their total population. This marks a rise from 281.6 million in 2023, continuing a six-year upward trend in global food crises.
The report also revealed a dramatic surge in famine-level conditions, with 1.9 million people now facing starvation — more than double the number from the previous year.
In a stark warning, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said:
“From Gaza and Sudan to Yemen and Mali, catastrophic hunger driven by conflict and other crises is pushing families to the edge of starvation.”
He added: “The message is stark. Hunger and malnutrition are spreading faster than we can respond, even as one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted.”
Conflict, Climate, and Economic Collapse
The report identified conflict and violence as the leading causes of food insecurity in 20 countries and territories, affecting over 140 million people.
In 18 countries, extreme weather — including droughts, floods, and other climate shocks — was a primary driver of hunger. Economic crises triggered by inflation, currency devaluation, and trade disruptions were the key factors in 15 nations, together impacting a total of 155 million people.
Particularly dire situations in Gaza, Sudan, and Myanmar have outpaced improvements seen in countries like Afghanistan and Kenya.
Earlier this week, a global food security monitor warned that Gaza faces a “critical risk of famine” after months of restricted humanitarian access due to an Israeli blockade.
A ‘Failure of Humanity’
With donor fatigue and shifting political priorities, the report warns that humanitarian funding is in freefall — a trend that could worsen global hunger in 2025.
Guterres called the situation “a failure of humanity,” saying,
“Hunger in the 21st century is indefensible. We cannot respond to empty stomachs with empty hands and turned backs.”
Funding cuts have already disrupted food aid operations in Afghanistan, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen, the report notes. Humanitarian food assistance is projected to drop by as much as 45% next year.
While the U.S. under former President Donald Trump slashed foreign aid, the report indicates that several major donor nations have since followed suit, compounding the crisis.
Economic instability — driven by tariff policies, a weaker U.S. dollar, and continued geopolitical uncertainty — is expected to be a dominant force in worsening food insecurity in 2025.
