UN Agencies Report Worsening Food Insecurity Across 16 Global Hotspots
The Hunger Hotspots report identifies conflict and violence as the leading causes of hunger in 14 of the affected regions.
Areas of “highest concern” include Haiti, Mali, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen, where populations face an imminent risk of catastrophic hunger. Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, and Syria are categorized as being of “very high concern,” while Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are also confronting severe food crises.
The agencies cautioned that “time is quickly running out to avert widespread starvation” as humanitarian funding falls drastically short. By late October, only $10.5 billion of the $29 billion required to support those most vulnerable had been received, forcing aid groups to reduce food rations and suspend key nutrition and school meal programs.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu underscored the need for early and preventive measures, saying, “The world's early warning systems work – this is fundamental for early action. We must move from reacting to crises, to preventing them. Investing in livelihoods, resilience and social protection before hunger peaks will save lives and resources. Famine prevention is not just a moral duty - it is a smart investment in long-term peace and stability. Peace is a prerequisite for food security and the right to food is a basic human right.”
Echoing that urgency, WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain warned, “We are on the brink of a completely preventable hunger catastrophe that threatens widespread starvation in multiple countries.”
Both FAO and WFP appealed for immediate funding, stronger political commitment, and unrestricted humanitarian access to prevent what they described as a rapidly approaching famine disaster.
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