The 2026 Global Report on Food Crises has sounded a dire warning, predicting a sharp rise in global hunger, driven by persistent drought, conflict, and reduced humanitarian aid.
According to the report, food insecurity is expected to worsen in some of the world’s most fragile regions, with 266 million people across 47 countries facing high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025.
The 10th edition of the hunger monitor, compiled by a coalition of humanitarian and development organizations, revealed that the past decade has seen acute hunger double.
Famines were declared in Sudan and Gaza in 2025, and regions like Haiti, Mali, Gaza, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen are experiencing catastrophic conditions, with over 1.4 million people in dire need of assistance.
The report highlighted a particularly alarming trend: 35.5 million children worldwide were acutely malnourished in 2025, including 10 million suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Despite some improvements in Haiti, the report warns that most countries are facing increasingly severe conditions as humanitarian aid and development assistance decline.
Alvaro Lario, head of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development, emphasized that food insecurity is no longer a temporary issue, but a persistent crisis affecting global stability.
Adding to the uncertainty, the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has raised concerns about long-term disruptions to global energy and fertilizer trade, which could worsen food insecurity in import-dependent nations.
The report also warns of a significant rise in food insecurity in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, with Nigeria seeing one of the largest increases in 2026, as an additional 4.1 million people are expected to face acute hunger.
Meanwhile, East Africa continues to grapple with failed rains and ongoing drought, especially in Somalia and Kenya, where insecurity, high food prices, and a reduction in humanitarian aid are expected to further escalate the crisis.
The funding for food sectors is already on the decline, with humanitarian food-sector funding dropping by 39% in 2025, and development assistance falling by at least 15%.
The report underscores the urgent need for increased global attention and resources to address the growing hunger crisis, which threatens to destabilize regions already on the edge of collapse.
