The United Nations has issued an urgent warning that millions of people across the globe could plunge into famine within months as armed conflicts intensify and humanitarian funding continues to fall drastically short of requirements.
In a joint assessment released Wednesday, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) painted a grim picture of escalating food insecurity, identifying eighteen countries where populations face either imminent or very high risk of catastrophic hunger.
The two Rome-based agencies named Haiti, Mali, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen as nations confronting “an imminent risk of catastrophic hunger,” with conditions in these countries deteriorating rapidly.
Additionally, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, and Syria were classified as countries of “very high concern,” while Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, and Rohingya refugee settlements in Bangladesh were flagged as locations where food insecurity is worsening at an alarming rate.
According to the report, conflict and violence remain the primary catalysts driving acute food insecurity in most affected nations, compounded by economic instability and climate-related disasters that have pushed tens of millions to the brink of starvation.
Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the World Food Programme, characterized the unfolding crisis as entirely avoidable, calling on the international community to mobilize resources before the situation becomes irreversible.
“We are on the brink of a completely preventable hunger catastrophe that threatens widespread starvation in multiple countries. A failure to act will only drive further instability, migration, and conflict,” McCain stated.
The severity of the crisis has been exacerbated by a critical shortfall in humanitarian funding. According to the UN report, only $10.5 billion has been mobilized out of the $29 billion required to address the urgent food and livelihood needs of at-risk populations worldwide—leaving a staggering deficit of more than $18 billion.
McCain described the funding situation as having fallen “dangerously short,” leaving humanitarian agencies unable to adequately respond to the mounting crisis across multiple regions.
The financial constraints have forced the World Food Programme to make difficult decisions, including scaling back or entirely suspending critical interventions that thousands depend on for survival.
“Due to funding cuts, assistance for refugees and displaced persons has been reduced, and school feeding programmes have been suspended in some countries,” the report revealed.
Beyond immediate food assistance, the funding crisis is also undermining efforts to protect agricultural livelihoods, which the FAO identified as crucial for stabilizing food production and preventing the recurrence of hunger emergencies.
The FAO has called on international donors to provide urgent funding for agricultural inputs including seeds, fertilizers, and livestock health services ahead of the upcoming planting season. The agency emphasized that supporting farmers and pastoralists now could prevent millions from sliding deeper into food insecurity in the months ahead.
The joint report underscores how the convergence of multiple crises—protracted conflicts, economic deterioration, and climate extremes—has created a perfect storm threatening global food security.
As humanitarian needs surge globally, aid organizations find themselves caught between expanding emergencies and shrinking resources, forcing impossible choices about which populations to assist and which interventions to maintain.
The UN agencies warned that without immediate and substantial international support, the world could witness levels of hunger and malnutrition not seen in decades, with potentially devastating consequences for global stability and human development.
