Global hunger is expected to remain at critical levels in 2026, with worsening food insecurity projected in some of the world’s most fragile countries, according to the latest Global Report on Food Crises.
The 10th edition of the report, released by a coalition of humanitarian and development organizations, found that acute hunger has doubled over the past decade. For the first time in its history, famines were declared last year in two areas, Gaza and Sudan.
In 2025, an estimated 266 million people across 47 countries and territories experienced high levels of acute food insecurity. Of these, about 1.4 million faced catastrophic hunger conditions in parts of Haiti, Mali, Gaza, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen.
The crisis is also hitting children hard. Around 35.5 million children worldwide were acutely malnourished in 2025, including nearly 10 million suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Looking ahead to 2026, the report warned that hunger levels remain severe, with Haiti the only country expected to slightly improve and move out of the worst “catastrophic” category due to better security conditions and increased humanitarian aid.
Alvaro Lario, head of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development, said food insecurity is no longer driven by short-term shocks but by prolonged and overlapping crises.
“We are no longer seeing just temporary shocks, but persistent shocks over time,” Lario said, warning that rising hunger is increasingly putting pressure on global stability.
The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran is also raising concerns, as disruptions in energy and fertilizer trade could trigger global food price increases, particularly affecting countries reliant on imports.
Even if the conflict ends soon, Lario cautioned that its economic effects including food inflation, could be felt within the next six months.
Regions already under strain are expected to face even greater pressure. In West Africa and the Sahel, countries such as Nigeria, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso continue to grapple with conflict and high inflation. Nigeria alone could see an additional 4.1 million people fall into acute hunger in 2026.
In East Africa, prolonged drought and failed rains across the Horn of Africa are likely to worsen conditions in Somalia and Kenya, where food prices remain high and humanitarian aid is declining.
The report also highlighted a sharp drop in funding. Humanitarian financing for food-related programs fell by about 39% in 2025 compared to the previous year, while development assistance declined by at least 15%, a trend expected to continue.
With multiple crises converging, the report warned that without sustained global support, hunger levels could further deteriorate in the coming years.
