Worsening hunger crisis requires global response across all sectors
Hunger is not inevitable, but it is almost always man-made, driven by a combination of armed conflict, economic shocks, climate extremes, poverty and inequality. Today, poverty and inequality remain the largest drivers of chronic hunger, while armed conflict continues to be the biggest driver of acute hunger in the world: 117 million people were driven to hunger mainly by conflict in 2022.1 In recent years, climate-related weather extremes have also destroyed ecosystems and people’s livelihoods. To be effective in eradicating hunger, all these drivers need to be addressed concurrently and systematically.
Global food insecurity has reached new heights, causing 258 million people in 2022 to face high levels of acute food insecurity2 in 58 countries/territories, up from 193 million people in 53 countries/territories in 2021. More than 40 per cent of those affected reside in five countries experiencing protracted crises: Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Nigeria and Yemen.3 In 2022, wasting threatened the lives of 45 million children under 5 (or 7 per cent of all children), of which 13.6 million were already suffering from severe wasting.4 Women and people living in rural areas are the hardest hit by food insecurity.5
Number of people in acute food insecurity in 2024 HRP countries
Theoutlook for 2023-2024 remains serious and likely to deteriorate further in the absence of concerted international support. Looking at 2023, as many as 333 million people are estimated to be acutely food insecure in the 78 countries with World Food Programme (WFP) operations and where data is available. This is an increase of 184 million people compared to pre-pandemic levels.6
By April 2024, populations in 18 out of 22 countries or territories, identified as Hunger Hotspots, are likely to face a significant deterioration in acute food insecurity levels.7 Among these, five contexts or “hotspots” are of the highest concern: Burkina Faso, Mali, the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), South Sudan and Sudan.8 In these countries, people either already face, or are projected to face, starvation or are at risk of deterioration towards catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity (IPC/CH 5). In 2023, at least 129,000 people Burkina Faso, Mali, South Sudan and Somalia were projected to face catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity (IPC/CH 5).9
In Burkina Faso and Mali, already high levels of acute food insecurity may further increase, driven by escalating violence and dire access for aid workers. In Mali, for the first time, 2,507 people are projected to be living in catastrophic food insecurity conditions (CH Phase 5). An upsurge in violence is expected following the withdrawal of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) at the end of 2023. In Burkina Faso, 42,694 people were projected to face catastrophic conditions (CH Phase 5) between June and August 2023.10
Aid in Action
Somalia – averting famine through multisectoral action, but not enough to stem long-term food insecurity
Mudug region, Somalia
A young boy has his malnutrition level evaluated following the 2022 drought, the worst in recent history.
OCHA/Yao Chen
Famine11 was averted in Somalia in 2022 due to the efforts of local communities and the scale-up of multisectoral humanitarian assistance (in-kind food, cash/voucher transfers, nutrition, WASH and health-related interventions) as well as slightly better rainfall than initially projected.12 Somalia, however, continues to experience alarming levels of acute food insecurity due to the combined effects of below-average and poorly distributed rainfall, flooding, the extended impact of multi-season drought, limited household access to food due to high food prices, continued conflict and insecurity and ongoing disease outbreaks.. Between October and December 2023, one million people were projected to face emergency levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 4).13 While there was no prediction of catastrophic conditions (IPC 5) in the same timeframe – the first time since June 2022 – the prevalence of critically acute food-insecure people remains of very high concern, especially in central and southern areas of the country.14 These figures represent a fragile recovery from a severe drought that resulted in projected famine in late 2022 and early 2023 which did not materialize. Acute malnutrition remains very high, with around 1.5 million children facing acute malnutrition between August 2023 and July 2024, including 331,000 children severely malnourished.15
The success in averting famine could be easily derailed given that there has been no improvement on the underlying drivers of the underlying crisis. Famine prevention itself takes years of concerted development and humanitarian action, to build up resilient and sustainable food, nutrition, health and livelihoods systems.
About 1.5 million people were acutely food insecure in OPT already in 2022, including 1.2 million people in the Gaza Strip (80 per cent of those experiencing food insecurity in OPT). Deteriorating security and economic conditions most likely resulted in a worsening of the food security situation even before the beginning of the current conflict in October 2023. The ongoing hostilities in Gaza have caused mass displacement and the destruction of critical infrastructure. Gaza’s food systems have been severely strained. Restricted humanitarian access has limited the amount of aid available. All of these factors are expected to worsen the current food insecurity situation.16
In South Sudan, critical levels of food insecurity are expected to persist across the country, even after the start of harvests in October due to insufficient crop production, high staple food prices and a lack of resources to support the rising numbers of returnees from Sudan. In 2023, between April and July, 43,000 people were projected to face Catastrophe levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 5).17
In Sudan, the devastating impacts of the conflict on livelihoods, the agriculture sector and the economy at large, amid the internal displacement of more than 6 million people will drive high levels of acute food insecurity.18 By September 2023, around 20.3 million people – or nearly half of Sudan’s total population – were assessed as facing crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 and above) levels of acute food insecurity. This is a deterioration compared with the same period last year, and the expected severe impact on agricultural production – due to inaccessible or insecure lands, combined with climate extremes – is expected to significantly dampen the traditional seasonal improvement.19
Monthly evolution of the Food Price Index (2000 - Oct 2023)
Persistently high food prices are adding extra pressure to food insecurity worldwide. Although global food prices had fallen by the end of 2022, and continued to shrink in 2023, they remained well above pre-pandemic levels.20 Domestic food prices, by contrast, increased in all 58 countries/territories with food crises by the end of the 2022, with food inflation over 10 per cent in 38 of them,21 and making essential purchases unaffordable for many people. The war in Ukraine also caused fertilizer and freight costs to surge, placing additional pressure on food prices by increasing the cost of production and transport.22
Humanitarians continue to fight against the growing hunger crisis. However, humanitarians have also faced increasing financial pressure in their operational costs associated with insecurity and volatility in areas of operation, the higher cost of commodities and cost of food, fuel and transport. For example, WFP’s current operational costs are, on average, 27 per cent higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, with highest impact observed in countries such as Nigeria, South Sudan and Syria.23
Ending the hunger crisis will require political solutions to end conflict, funding at scale and the strong collaboration of development and humanitarian actors, with both working side by side in the most fragile contexts. While more than 79per cent of humanitarian funding goes to countries withfood crises, only 33 per cent of development fundingand a fraction of climate financing is spent in food crisescountries.Greater investment in disaster risk reduction, resilienceand anticipatory action could also bring increased efficiencies, with the benefits outweighing costs by two to fivetimes, or more in some cases.24
Aid in Action
Placing women and girls at the heart of efforts to fight hunger
Bulengo displacement site, DRC
A woman tends to her cabbage crops in a small garden adjacent to her shelter.
OCHA/Francis Mweze
There is a clear link between gender equality, poverty and hunger and one cannot be addressed without the other. Women make up most of the workforce in agriculture, accounting for between 40 to 80 per cent of the workforce. For example, in the Sahel women constitute 40 per cent of the labour in agricultural production, 80 per cent in processing and 70 per cent in distribution.25
However, on average, only 15 per cent of land is owned by women and they have limited access to capital, training, inputs and equipment. On average, women receive only 10 per cent of total aid for agriculture, forestry and fishing. Yet, closing the gender gap in key sectors could lift up to 150 million people out of hunger and add trillions to the world economy.26 By investing in women - including by supporting the participation and leadership of women-led organizations in the food security sector – there would be a multiplier effect benefiting not only women, but also their families, communities and countries.
Defined as Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)/Cadre Harmonise (CH) Phase 3 or above or equivalent. For more information see IPC Acute Food Insecurity Classification