Two leading United Nations agencies have issued a stark warning about a major hunger emergency threatening millions of people across the globe. A new report predicts that acute food insecurity is set to intensify in 16 countries and territories between now and May 2026.
Countries at Highest Risk of Famine
The report, released on Tuesday by the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), identifies six nations at the highest alert level. These countries are at imminent risk of famine or catastrophic hunger: Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Mali, Haiti, and Yemen.
In these critical hotspots, some communities are already projected to reach famine or near-famine conditions. The situation is also of very high concern in several other nations, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, and Afghanistan.
What Acute Food Insecurity Means
Acute food insecurity is a severe condition where families cannot meet their most basic food needs. This crisis forces people into desperate survival measures, such as skipping meals for entire days or selling essential possessions just to buy food.
The hunger crisis escalates through different phases, with Phase 4 (Emergency) and Phase 5 (Catastrophe/Famine) being life-threatening. Additional areas of concern highlighted in the report include Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, and the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.
A Call for Urgent Action and Resources
Cindy McCain, the WFP Executive Director, emphasized that "Famine is not inevitable." She stated that the world possesses the necessary tools and knowledge to prevent this catastrophe but lacks the resources and political will to act immediately.
The report identifies four primary drivers of this crisis. Dongyu Qu, the FAO Director-General, confirmed that "Conflict remains the single biggest driver of hunger." However, he noted that climate shocks and economic instability are severely compounding the problem, leaving millions without any safety net.
Children are exceptionally vulnerable in these conditions. Malnutrition weakens their immune systems, making them far more susceptible to disease and death. The report concludes with a grave warning: delayed action will result in the loss of countless lives and will significantly increase future humanitarian costs.
