Global Acute Hunger Reaches Record Levels; 2025 Outlook Grim: UN Report

Last year, over 295 million individuals experienced severe hunger, marking a new peak driven largely by conflicts and other crises. The situation looks “grim” for 2025 as humanitarian aid falls short, according to a report supported by the United Nations released this past Friday.

This represents the sixth consecutive annual rise in those experiencing “high levels” of acute food insecurity, as highlighted in the Global Report on Food Crises.

Specifically, 295.3 million people dealt with acute hunger in the past year—close to 25% of the population across 53 of the 65 countries examined in the report.

The figure increased from 281.6 million in 2023, according to the report compiled by a coalition of international organizations and NGOs.

The number of individuals facing famine soared to 1.9 million, which is more than double that of the previous year.

A recent food security monitor reported on Monday that Gaza is under a “critical risk of famine” following more than two months of an Israeli aid blockade.

“From Gaza to Sudan, Yemen, and Mali, catastrophic hunger driven by conflict and other issues has reached unprecedented levels, pushing families to the brink of starvation,” stated UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the report.

“The message is clear: Hunger and malnutrition are spreading faster than our capacity to respond, and globally, a third of all food produced is either lost or wasted,” he continued.

The report pinpointed conflict and violence as the main factors affecting 140 million people across 20 countries and territories experiencing acute hunger.

Extreme weather conditions contributed to the crisis in 18 countries, while “economic shocks” impacted 15 nations, collectively affecting an additional 155 million individuals.

The worsening circumstances in Gaza, Myanmar, and Sudan outweigh the improvements seen in Afghanistan and Kenya.

“A Failure of Humanity”

The report cautioned that the outlook for 2025 is “bleak” as major donor countries have significantly cut humanitarian funding.

“This is more than just a failure of systems; it represents a failure of humanity,” Guterres stated.

“Hunger in the 21st century is unacceptable. We cannot meet empty stomachs with empty hands and turned backs,” he added.

The abrupt halt of funding in 2025 has disrupted humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen.

Projected funding for the humanitarian food sectors is expected to decline by up to 45%.

The U.S. government, under President Donald Trump, has substantially cut foreign aid, but other nations have also reduced their contributions.

The report also indicates that “economic shocks” are likely to exacerbate acute food insecurity as the global economy faces “high uncertainty” due to U.S. tariffs and a weakening dollar.