Hunger threatens millions around the world amid escalating conflicts and declining aid

The world is no longer making significant progress in combating hunger, and the situation in sub-Saharan Africa has been deteriorating since 2018. According to two reports issued before World Food Day, October 16, this region includes seven of the eight countries classified as a situation of concern, and it also has the three largest severe food security crises in the world.

The Global Hunger Index, published by the German World Hungry Relief Organization in cooperation with two partner organizations, recorded an increase for the first time compared to 2018, within a series of data dating back to the year 2000.

The hunger situation has deteriorated in 32 countries, while little progress has been achieved in 20 other countries. The index takes into account rates of undernutrition, malnutrition and mortality among children.

266 million people face acute hunger globally

According to an analysis by the relief organization Action Against Hunger, about 266 million people in the 47 countries and territories monitored in 2025 suffered from high levels of acute food insecurity. Two-thirds of these people lived in only ten countries. The analysis indicated that armed conflicts represent the main cause of this crisis, as they lead to the displacement of people and the destruction of their livelihoods. Droughts, floods and high food prices also exacerbate the suffering.

Meanwhile, funding for humanitarian food aid in crisis areas declined by 59% between 2022 and 2025, according to the organization. This led to a reduction in aid programs, as well as a decline in the ability to adequately monitor crises. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported a slight decline in the number of people suffering from chronic hunger globally, reaching 645 million people in 2025. However, this number is based on a different scale from the scale used to monitor acute food security crises.