International development organizations have released a sobering assessment indicating that worldwide food insecurity will continue at alarming levels throughout 2026, as armed conflicts, climate-related droughts, and decreased international assistance create a perfect storm for hunger.
The latest edition of the Global Report on Food Crises, marking its tenth year of tracking worldwide hunger patterns, reveals that severe food shortages have increased twofold during the past ten years. For the first time since the report began, two regions – Gaza and Sudan – were officially classified as experiencing famine conditions in 2025.
The comprehensive study documented that 266 million individuals across 47 nations and territories experienced dangerous levels of food shortage during 2025, while 1.4 million people endured the most extreme hunger conditions in Haiti, Mali, Gaza, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.
The crisis has particularly impacted children, with 35.5 million young people worldwide suffering from acute malnutrition in 2025 alone. Nearly 10 million of these children faced the most severe form of nutritional deficiency.
Examining current conditions, the assessment indicates that crisis-level hunger persists, with only Haiti showing signs of potential improvement from the most catastrophic category due to modest security gains and expanded humanitarian support.
Alvaro Lario, who leads the U.N. International Fund for Agricultural Development and contributes to the annual assessment, emphasized the evolving nature of the crisis. “We are no longer seeing just temporary shocks, but persistent shocks over time,” Lario stated.
He further explained to Reuters: “The main message is that food insecurity is not an isolated issue anymore, but is putting pressure on global stability.”
The ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran has intensified concerns about food security, according to Lario. He cautioned that extended disruptions to energy and fertilizer markets could impact global food systems and intensify hunger in nations that rely heavily on food imports and are already experiencing crises.
“Even if the conflict in the Middle East were to end right now, we know that a lot of the food price shocks and inflation will happen in the next six months,” he explained.
Beyond Middle Eastern tensions, West African nations and the Sahel region face continued challenges from violence and ongoing price increases, with Nigeria, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso expected to experience particular difficulties.
Nigeria specifically is anticipated to witness one of the most significant rises in food insecurity during 2026, with projections showing 4.1 million additional people will face acute hunger.
In East Africa, insufficient rainfall throughout much of the Horn of Africa region is expected to intensify hardships in Somalia and Kenya, where drought conditions, security threats, elevated food costs and diminished humanitarian support are likely to create deteriorating circumstances.
The report also highlighted concerning trends in international funding, noting that humanitarian and development financing for food-related programs dropped significantly in 2025 and is expected to decline further.
Financial support for humanitarian food initiatives is estimated to have decreased by approximately 39% in the previous year compared to 2024 figures, while development aid contracted by no less than 15%.
