Last year, over 280 million people around the globe experienced severe hunger, a crisis fueled by conflicts in places like Gaza and Sudan, according to UN agencies and development organizations.
Economic upheavals also contributed to the rising numbers, which increased by 24 million compared to 2022, as reported by the Food Security Information Network.
This report, highlighting a grim global forecast for the current year, is compiled for an alliance of international bodies, including UN agencies, the EU, and governmental and non-governmental entities.
Food insecurity, defined as situations where communities face severe food shortages threatening lives and livelihoods, persisted in more regions due to new or intensified challenges. Fleur Wouterse, a senior official at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, noted a significant worsening of conditions in places like Sudan and the Gaza Strip.
Since the initial report by the Global Food Crisis Network in 2016, the number of food-insecure individuals has skyrocketed from 108 million to 282 million, with the proportion of affected populations within those regions doubling from 11 percent to 22 percent.
Persistent food crises continue in countries like Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Syria, and Yemen. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres lamented the tragic reality of children dying from hunger in a world of plenty, attributing the crisis to war, climate disasters, rising living costs, and inadequate response.
Conflicts and insecurity have become the primary drivers of acute hunger, according to the report. Progress in 2024 hinges on resolving hostilities, with Wouterse emphasizing that humanitarian aid could swiftly alleviate crises in places like Gaza and Sudan if access to these areas were possible.
