Hunger reached devastating levels in 2024, with the number of people suffering from acute food insecurity rising for the sixth consecutive year, according to a newly released report backed by the United Nations. The 2025 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) labels the outlook for 2025 as “bleak.”
The report, released on Friday, found that more than 295 million people across 53 countries and territories faced acute food insecurity and child malnutrition last year. That figure represents a 5 percent increase over 2023 and underscores the continuing escalation of hunger globally, driven by war, extreme weather, and worsening economic shocks.
According to the GRFC, which compiles analysis from UN agencies and global partners, 22.6 percent of the populations in the hardest-hit areas endured crisis-level hunger or worse in 2024. Conflict emerged as the single largest driver, impacting nearly 140 million people across 20 nations. The report specifically highlights “catastrophic” levels of food insecurity in Gaza, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali, with famine conditions confirmed in Sudan.
The report identified economic shocks as the second major cause, pushing 59.4 million people into food crises in 15 countries, including Syria and Yemen. These economic downturns have made food unaffordable for millions already living on the margins.
Meanwhile, climate-related disasters also played a key role, especially those triggered by the El Niño weather phenomenon. Droughts and floods ravaged crops and disrupted food production in 18 countries, affecting more than 96 million people in regions such as Southern Africa, Southern Asia, and the Horn of Africa.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a sharp rebuke of the global response, calling the findings an “unflinching indictment of a world dangerously off course.”
“From Gaza and Sudan, to Yemen and Mali, catastrophic hunger driven by conflict and other factors is hitting record highs, pushing households to the edge of starvation.
“This is more than a failure of systems – it is a failure of humanity. Hunger in the 21st century is indefensible. We cannot respond to empty stomachs with empty hands and turned backs.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres
According to the report, countries like Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, and Yemen not only had the largest absolute numbers of hungry people but also the highest share of their populations facing acute food insecurity.
The GRFC noted that “the number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity almost tripled” in 2024 compared to previous years. Furthermore, 26 countries were reported to be simultaneously facing acute food crises and severe nutrition emergencies, making them particularly vulnerable.
Sudan, Yemen, Mali, and the Palestinian territories were flagged for experiencing “the most severe nutrition crises” of the year. In Sudan’s North Darfur region, famine was officially declared in the ZamZam displacement camp in July 2024. By the end of the year, famine had spread to nine more regions of the country, with conditions expected to persist into mid-2025.
In Palestine, while an anticipated famine was averted in March 2024 due to increased humanitarian aid, the situation remains volatile. With the ongoing war in Gaza and Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries, the report warns that “acute food insecurity, malnutrition, and mortality” could cross famine thresholds by September 2025.
Brief Relief, but a Dark Horizon
Amid the despair, some countries experienced improvements. Ukraine, Kenya, and Guatemala were among 15 nations where food insecurity eased in 2024, thanks to improved harvests, reduced conflict, easing inflation, and increased humanitarian efforts.
However, this progress is at risk. The report emphasizes that major donor nations have significantly reduced humanitarian funding, endangering future relief operations and potentially reversing gains in the most vulnerable regions.
As the global hunger crisis deepens, the GRFC calls for sustained international action to address the root causes of hunger, conflict, climate change, and economic inequality and to scale up funding for life-saving aid before the crisis escalates further.
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