UN reports global hunger crisis reached record levels in 2024

According to the United Nations (UN) Global Report on Food Crises 2025, global food insecurity and child malnutrition have reached their highest levels in six years, affecting more than 295 million people across 53 countries and territories.

The report states that 22.6% of the population in the worst-affected areas are experiencing severe or crisis-level hunger—an increase of 5% compared to 2023.

"The 2025 Global Report on Food Crises paints a staggering picture," Rein Paulsen, director of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Office of Emergencies and Resilience said.

“Conflict, weather extremes and economic shocks are the main drivers, and they often overlap.”

The UN has warned of worsening conditions, citing the most severe projected decline in humanitarian food funding since the report's inception—estimated at anywhere between 10% and over 45%.

The report highlights that US President Donald Trump’s closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has led to the cancellation of more than 80% of its humanitarian programmes, significantly impacting global food aid.

Key figures revealing the severity of the crisis

Conflict: the leading cause of hunger in 2024, affecting nearly 140 million people across 20 countries, with Gaza, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali hit hardest. Sudan has officially declared severe malnutrition at famine level.

Economic instability: inflation and currency depreciation have pushed 59.4 million people in 15 countries, including Syria and Yemen, into food insecurity—nearly double the number recorded before Covid-19 pandemic.

Extreme weather: droughts and floods caused by El Niño have plunged 18 countries into food crises, impacting over 96 million people, with South Asia, Southern Africa and the Horn of Africa bearing the brunt.

The number of people facing famine-like conditions has more than doubled to 1.9 million—the highest recorded since monitoring began in 2016.

Young children at extreme risk

Almost 38 million children under five are suffering from acute malnutrition across 26 crisis zones, including Sudan, Yemen, Mali and Gaza.

Additionally, nearly 95 million forcibly displaced people now reside in countries grappling with food crises, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia.

Despite the bleak global picture, some countries—including Ukraine, Kenya and Guatemala—are showing signs of recovery due to humanitarian aid, improved harvests, lower inflation and reduced conflict.