Rising global malnutrition and famine risks reported in new hunger report

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According to the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2026, conflict and violence were the primary causes of acute hunger affecting nearly 150 million people worldwide. The report confirmed famine in two locations: parts of the Gaza Strip and Sudan, marking the first dual confirmation since formal famine reporting began.

The GRFC found that acute food insecurity remained widespread across 47 countries and territories, with 22.9 percent of their populations experiencing acute food insecurity last year. This represents a marginal rise from 22.7 percent in 2024 but nearly double the 11.3 percent recorded in 2016.

The report also noted that the proportion of analysed populations facing acute hunger has stayed above 20 percent every year since 2020. The number of people affected by food crises grew from 108 million in 2016 to 265.7 million in 2025, with a peak of 281.6 million in 2023.

Famine was confirmed in parts of the Gaza Strip and Sudan, while the risk of famine remained in other areas of these countries, as well as South Sudan. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system classified six countries and territories as having “catastrophic conditions”, with a population of 1.4 million people.

The report also found that conflict and violence were the primary drivers of acute food insecurity in 19 countries, affecting 147.4 million people. Weather extremes were the primary driver in 16 countries, while economic shocks led to acute hunger in 12 countries.

Humanitarian and development financing for areas facing food crises declined in 2025, falling back to levels last seen in 2016-2017. The report noted that the escalation of conflict in the Middle East exposes food-crisis countries to direct and indirect risks of global agricultural and food market disruptions.

The GRFC also reported on nutrition crises, with an estimated 35.5 million children acutely malnourished across 23 countries, including 10 million with severe acute malnutrition. Additionally, 9.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women were acutely malnourished across 21 countries.

The report concluded that the number of forcibly displaced people in the 46 countries covered fell slightly in 2025 to 85.1 million.

Source: Al Jazeera