Famine crisis deepens in 16 hunger hotspots worldwide

Conflict and violence are driving extreme hunger in six major crises worldwide, according to a new joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP). The report warns that acute food insecurity is deepening in 16 hunger hotspots, threatening to push millions more into famine or the risk of famine. Time is running out to avert widespread starvation in the areas of highest concern—Haiti, Mali, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen—where populations face an imminent risk of catastrophic hunger.

Covering the period from November 2025 through May 2026, the report finds that conflict and violence are the primary drivers of hunger in 14 of the 16 identified hotspots. Six countries and territories are classified as highest concern, while another six—Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia and the Syrian Arab Republic—are deemed “very high concern.” The remaining hotspots are Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya and the situation of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

Humanitarian funding is falling short, with only $10.5 billion of the required $29 billion received as of October 2025. This shortfall has crippled emergency responses and reduced food access for vulnerable groups. The World Food Programme has been forced to tighten targeting criteria and cut assistance for refugees and displaced people, and critical nutrition and school‑feeding programs have been suspended in some countries.

The FAO and WFP stress that famine is almost always predictable and preventable. They call on the international community to urgently refocus on famine prevention and to scale up investments in long‑term food security and resilience. Emphasizing anticipatory action—providing assistance before a crisis strikes—they argue this is essential for populations to withstand hunger shocks. The organizations also stress the urgent need to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access in conflict‑affected areas.

The situation is critical, with millions of lives depending on decisive action. The FAO and WFP assert that famine can be prevented only with political will, leadership, adequate funding and collective accountability. The international community must act now to prevent widespread starvation and instability across multiple countries. The bi‑annual Hunger Hotspots report is developed with financial support from the European Union through the Global Network Against Food Crises.