The Global Food Crises Report 2026, released on Friday by an alliance of UN agencies, the European Union (EU) and partners, finds that 266 million people in 47 countries experienced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025 – almost a quarter of the population analyzed and almost double the proportion recorded in 2016.
The report paints a bleak picture: hunger is no longer a series of short-term emergencies, but a persistent and increasingly concentrated global challenge.
“Today, acute food insecurity is not only widespread: it is also persistent and recurrent,“said the director-general of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Qu Dongyu, warning that the crisis has become structural rather than temporary.
Conflict is the main driver
Conflict remains the main factor, accounting for more than half of all people suffering from severe hunger.
Ten countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Sudan, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen) accounted for two-thirds of all people facing high levels of acute hunger.
At the most extreme end, Famine was confirmed in 2025 in Gaza and parts of Sudan. – the first time since reporting began that two separate famines have been recorded in a single year.
“This report is a call to action,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in the foreword, “muster the political will to rapidly increase investment in life-saving aid and work to end the conflicts that cause so much suffering for so many people..”
The report also highlights a Sharp increase in the severity of hunger.. More than 39 million people in 32 countries faced emergency levels of food insecurity, while the number of people experiencing catastrophic hunger has increased nine-fold since 2016.
Number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity.
Children are the most affected
Children are among the most affected. In 2025, 35.5 million children suffered from acute malnutrition, of which almost 10 million suffered from severe acute malnutrition. – a life-threatening condition that dramatically increases the risk of death.
“Children with severe wasting are too thin for their height. Their immune systems have been weakened to the point that common childhood illnesses can be fatal.“warned the spokesman for the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), Ricardo Pires.
In the most affected areas – including Gaza, Myanmar, South Sudan and Sudan – overlapping crises of conflict, disease and limited access to services are driving extreme levels of malnutrition and increasing the risk of death.
Displacement worsens the crisis
Forced displacement is worsening the crisis.
More than 85 million people were displaced in food crisis contexts last year, and displaced populations consistently faced higher levels of hunger than host communities.
“Forced displacement and food insecurity are deeply interconnected and form a vicious cycle,“said United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, warning that humanitarian aid alone is not enough to break this pattern.
Myanmar is among the countries with a very high number of people suffering from acute food insecurity. In the photo, a family in an internally displaced persons camp in the east of the country.
Funding collapse
Despite the magnitude of the crisis, the report warns that financing is moving in the opposite direction.
Humanitarian and development Funding for food and nutrition responses has fallen back to levels last seen almost a decade ago.limiting the ability of governments and aid organizations to respond effectively.
At the same time, data gaps are increasing. The number of countries able to produce reliable assessments of food security has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, meaning the true magnitude of hunger may be even greater than current estimates suggest.
Grim outlook for 2026
Looking ahead, the outlook for 2026 remains bleak. Ongoing conflicts, climate crises and economic instability are expected to continue Food insecurity at critical levels. in many countries.
The report also flags new risks linked to global market disruptions, including those arising from the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, which could further increase food prices and strain supply chains.
Aid agencies warn that without a change of approach, the world risks becoming trapped in a cycle of deepening crises, in which hunger is no longer a temporary emergency but an increasingly persistent feature of global instability.
“We must move from reacting too late to acting early, and from relying solely on food assistance to protecting local food production, because that is how we reduce need, save lives and build resilience over time.”said FAO Director-General Qu.
