Acute food insecurity and malnutrition rise for sixth consecutive year in world’s most fragile regions

Acute food insecurity and child malnutrition rose for the sixth consecutive year in 2024, pushing millions of people to the brink, in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions, according to the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), released today.

The report shows conflict, economic shocks, climate extremes, and forced displacement continued to drive food insecurity and malnutrition around the world, with catastrophic impacts on many already fragile regions.

In 2024, more than 295 million people across 53 countries and territories experienced acute levels of hunger– an increase of 13.7 million from 2023. Of great concern is the worsening prevalence of acute food insecurity, which now stands at 22.6 percent of the population assessed. This marks the fifth consecutive year in which this figure has remained above 20 percent.

The number of people facing catastrophic hunger (IPC/CH Phase 5) more than doubled over the same period to reach 1.9 million – the highest on record since the GRFC began tracking in 2016.

Malnutrition, particularly among children, reached extremely high levels, including in the Gaza Strip, Mali, Sudan, and Yemen. Nearly 38 million children under five were acutely malnourished across 26 nutrition crises.

The report also highlights a sharp increase in hunger driven by forced displacement, with nearly 95 million forcibly displaced people, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), asylum seekers and refugees, living in countries facing food crises such as, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Sudan, and Syria out of a global total of 128 million forcibly displaced people.

“This Global Report on Food Crises is another unflinching indictment of a world dangerously off course,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. “Long-standing crises are now being compounded by another, more recent one: the dramatic reduction in lifesaving humanitarian funding to respond to these needs. 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.”  

Key drivers of acute food insecurity and malnutrition:

Conflict remained the top driver of acute food insecurity, affecting around 140 million people in 20 countries and territories. Famine has been confirmed in Sudan, while other hotspots with people experiencing Catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity include the Gaza Strip, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali.

Economic shocks including inflation and currency devaluation, drove hunger in 15 countries affecting 59.4 million people - still nearly double pre-COVID 19 levels despite a modest decline from 2023. Some of the largest and most protracted food crises were primarily driven by economic shocks, including in Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, and Yemen.

Weather extremes particularly El Niño-induced droughts and floods, pushed 18 countries into food crises affecting over 96 million people, with significant impacts in Southern Africa, Southern Asia and the Horn of Africa.

According to the GRFC outlook, hunger shocks will likely persist into 2025, as the Global Network anticipates the most significant reduction in humanitarian funding for food and nutrition crises in the report's history.

Call for bold reset to break cycle of food crises  

Acute food insecurity and malnutrition have increased to record levels, yet global funding is experiencing its fastest decline in years, and political momentum is weakening.

Breaking the cycle of rising hunger and malnutrition requires a bold reset – one that prioritizes evidence-driven and impact-focused action. This means pooling resources, scaling what works, and putting the needs and voices of affected communities at the heart of every response.

Beyond emergency aid, the Global Network Against Food Crises recommends investing in local food systems and integrated nutrition services to address long-term vulnerabilities and build resilience to shocks – especially in crisis-prone regions where 70 percent of rural households rely on agriculture for sustenance and livelihood.