The United Nations and the European Union, along with their international partners, have issued a stark warning that levels of acute food insecurity and malnutrition are still at a dangerous threshold, deeply rooted in an increasing number of crisis hotspots. At the same time, funding allocated to address these crises has fallen to its lowest levels in nearly a decade.
The "2026 Global Report on Food Crises," published by the "Global Network Against Food Crises," reveals that the number of people facing high levels of acute hunger has doubled over the past ten years. Notably, two famines were declared in 2025, marking the first time in the report's history that famines were announced in the Gaza Strip and parts of Sudan, classified as "Phase Five" in the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system.
Details of the Crisis
According to the data, **266 million** people in **47** countries and regions experienced high levels of acute food insecurity in **2025**, which is approximately **23%** of the analyzed population. This figure is slightly higher than in **2024** and nearly double the percentage recorded in **2016**. Furthermore, the number of individuals facing catastrophic hunger (Phase Five) is now **nine times** greater than it was a decade ago.
Two-thirds of the cases are concentrated in just ten countries: **Afghanistan**, **Bangladesh**, **Democratic Republic of the Congo**, **Myanmar**, **Nigeria**, **Pakistan**, **South Sudan**, **Sudan**, **Syria**, and **Yemen**. Afghanistan, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen are among the most severely affected in terms of both percentage and population size.
Background & Context
Acute malnutrition is rising at an alarming rate, with the report indicating that in just one year (**2025**), there were **35.5 million** children suffering from acute malnutrition, including nearly **10 million** in a state of severe malnutrition. The data shows that nearly half of the areas experiencing food crises are simultaneously facing acute nutritional crises, due to the overlap between poor diets, disease outbreaks, and the collapse of essential services.
In the most severe contexts, such as Gaza, Myanmar, South Sudan, and Sudan, the accumulation of these shocks has led to critical levels of malnutrition and increased mortality risks. The report also reveals that over **85 million** people were forced to flee their homes, either internally or across borders, due to food crises in **2025**.
Impact & Consequences
These displaced individuals often face higher levels of acute hunger compared to host communities. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees links the vicious cycle of displacement to food insecurity, noting that **86%** of refugees and internally displaced persons live in countries already suffering from food crises, many of which are in prolonged displacement situations.
UN leaders and development partners emphasized in their statements within the report that the primary cause of acute hunger is armed conflict, exacerbated by the effects of economic shocks, climate fluctuations, and hindrances to humanitarian access. UN Secretary-General **António Guterres** described the situation as an "unprecedented escalation of the most severe forms of hunger," calling for a mobilization of political will to increase investments in life-saving assistance.
Regional Significance
These indicators come amid a sharp decline in humanitarian and development funding allocated to food crises, with spending levels returning to nearly what they were in **2016**. This decline not only limits the capacity of governments and agencies to respond but also undermines the foundation of planning by weakening data collection systems.
In conclusion, the Global Network Against Food Crises affirmed that food and nutrition crises are no longer "transitory shocks" but have become chronic, predictable phenomena concentrated in contexts of prolonged crises. To avert the worst outcomes, the statement urged governments, donors, and international financial institutions to invest in resilient food and agricultural systems.