The sixteen ‘hunger hotspots’ where food insecurity is on the rise
The main cause of food shortages globally revealed
- A joint report by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warns of a rapidly closing window to prevent millions more people from facing acute food insecurity globally.
- The report identifies sixteen regions at high risk of severe food crises, highlighting countries such as Sudan, Yemen, Palestine, Mali, and Burkina Faso as particularly vulnerable.
- Armed conflict is cited as the primary driver of food shortages in many areas, exacerbated by economic instability, including rising prices and currency depreciation, and the escalating impact of climate change.
- A critical shortfall in humanitarian funding, with the WFP having significantly less than needed, is forcing cuts to vital programmes and jeopardising the ability to respond to growing needs.
- The report stresses that investing in livelihoods, resilience, and agricultural support is essential to stabilise food production and avert a massive deterioration in global food security by 2026, warning of an incalculable human cost if action is delayed.