Critical funding shortfalls are forcing reductions in food rations by UN News, World Food Programme, FAO FAO–WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity (June - October 2025 outlook)   16 June 2025   A new joint UN report warns that people in five hunger hotspots around the world face extreme hunger and risk of starvation and death in the coming months unless there is urgent humanitarian action and a coordinated international effort to de-escalate conflict, stem displacement, and mount an urgent full-scale aid response.   The latest Hunger Hotspots report shows that Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali are hotspots of highest concern, with communities already facing famine, at risk of famine or confronted with catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity due to intensifying or persisting conflict, economic shocks, and natural hazards. The devastating crises are being exacerbated by growing humanitarian access constraints and critical funding shortfalls.   The Hunger Hotspots report is an early-warning analysis of deteriorating food crises for the next five months. Developed and published with financial support from the European Union through the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC), the latest edition projects a serious deterioration of acute food insecurity in 13 countries and territories – the world’s most critical hunger hotspots in the coming months.   In addition to hotspots of highest concern, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar and Nigeria are now hotspots of very high concern and require urgent attention to save lives and livelihoods. Other hotspots include Burkina Faso, Chad, Somalia, and Syria.   “This report makes it very clear: hunger today is not a distant threat – it is a daily emergency for millions of people,” FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said. “We must act now, and act together, to save lives and safeguard livelihoods. Protecting people’s farms to ensure they can keep producing food where they are, even in the toughest and harshest conditions, is not just urgent – it is essential.”   “This report is a red alert. We know where hunger is rising and we know who is at risk,” said Cindy McCain, World Food Programme Executive Director. “We have the tools and expertise to respond, swiftly and at scale, to save lives and halt the spread of famine before it’s too late – but additional funding and safe humanitarian access are now critical.   Just as importantly, the international community needs to focus on brokering political solutions to the conflicts and instability that are driving the crises we’re sounding the alarm on today."   In Sudan, Famine was confirmed in 2024. Conditions are expected to persist due to the continuing conflict and ongoing displacement, particularly in the Greater Kordofan and Greater Darfur regions. Displacement is likely to increase further during the outlook period while humanitarian access remains restricted.   The circumstances are driving the country towards the risk of partial economic collapse, with high inflation severely limiting food access. Around 24.6 million people were projected to face Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above) levels of acute food insecurity, including 637,000 people facing Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) through May 2025.   In Palestine, the likelihood of famine in the Gaza Strip is growing as large-scale military operations hinder the ability to deliver vital food and non-food humanitarian assistance. In addition to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip, high food prices coupled with exhausted livelihoods and a commercial blockade will accelerate an economic collapse.   The entire population in Gaza – 2.1 million people – is projected to face Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above) levels of acute food insecurity, with 470,000 projected to face Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) through September 2025.   South Sudan faces compounding threats from political tensions, the risk of flooding, and economic challenges. Approximately 7.7 million people – or 57 percent of the population – are projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) between April and July 2025, with 63,000 people projected to face Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) levels of acute food insecurity. An IPC update released after the report’s finalization indicated Risk of Famine in two areas of the country and confirmed the bleak outlook.   In Haiti, record levels of gang violence and insecurity are displacing communities and crippling aid access. Thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) already facing Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) levels of acute food insecurity in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area by June 2025.   In Mali, high grain prices and ongoing conflict are eroding the coping capacities of the most vulnerable households, particularly in conflict-affected areas. In Myanmar, the impact of the recent major earthquake is likely to worsen the already dire food insecurity situation in the country, driven by escalating conflict, widespread displacement, severe access restrictions and high food prices. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been reintroduced to the hotspot list due to intensifying conflict.   A call for global solidarity   In multiple hotspots, aid delivery is significantly hampered by restricted humanitarian access due to insecurity, bureaucratic impediments, or physical isolation. At the same time, critical funding shortfalls are forcing reductions in food rations, limiting the reach of life-saving nutrition and agricultural interventions.   The Hunger Hotspots report highlights the importance of continued investments in humanitarian action. Interventions save lives, reduce food gaps, and protect livelihoods at a significantly lower cost than delayed humanitarian action.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164441 http://www.wfp.org/news/fao-and-wfp-early-warning-report-reveals-worsening-hunger-13-hotspots-five-immediate-risk http://www.fightfoodcrises.net/hunger-hotspots   * The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reports global military spending of over $2700 billion in 2024, U.S.$997 billion. The Forbes 2024 Billionaires list reports 2,781 people holding combined assets of $14.2 trillion. Visit the related web page
	Acute food insecurity is expected to increase between June and September by FEWS NET food security update May 2025   20 May 2025   This FEWS NET food security update provides a broad overview of the current landscape of food security, with particular emphasis on major events and trends that have occurred in recent months and the expectations for trends in acute food insecurity through September 2025. The analysis presented in this report is based on information available as of May 12, 2025.   As the global food security landscape and humanitarian response capacity undergoes significant change, large-scale food assistance needs persist across East Africa, parts of West and Southern Africa, conflict-affected areas of the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Haiti.   Acute food insecurity is expected to increase between June and September in many geographies covered by FEWS NET. The scale and severity of acute food insecurity is highest in Sudan and Gaza, where exhaustive measures are urgently required to ensure multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance can prevent further loss of life.   Concern is also high for South Sudan; Yemen; northern and southern Ethiopia; Somalia; Haiti; the eastern DRC; the Liptako-Gourma region in the Sahel; and northern Nigeria, where humanitarian food and nutrition assistance is critical to saving lives and protecting livelihoods.   Recent freezes and ongoing reductions of donor funding are forcing cuts to food, nutrition, and agricultural assistance programs. At the same time, the uncertainty of trade relationships has led to a downward revision in projections for global economic growth for the year, and there is concern that shifts in agricultural trade flows may place upward pressure on prices even though global commodity markets are well supplied. Amid local and regional conflict, economic, and weather shocks, these combined pressures are increasing the risk of acute food insecurity among many poor households worldwide.   Conflict remains the leading cause of acute food insecurity. Ongoing violence continues to displace millions, disrupt agricultural systems, and obstruct humanitarian assistance delivery. Sudan and Gaza are experiencing the most extreme levels of acute food insecurity due to prolonged, intense conflict and associated restrictions to the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance. Elsewhere, violence and political instability are also driving high food assistance needs in South Sudan, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, the Sahel, Ethiopia, and Somalia.   Economic instability in many of the countries monitored by FEWS NET is undermining access to food, particularly in import-dependent countries. The impacts are most pronounced in countries where conflict is a significant disruptor to trade flows and market functionality and has led to protracted macroeconomic crises, such as in Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, and Haiti.   Despite a decline in global commodity prices since 2022, domestic food prices remain high due to inflation, currency depreciation, and localized supply chain constraints. These trends disproportionately affect poor households who rely on market purchases and strain government capacity to respond to increasing needs.   Weather shocks continue to threaten agricultural production in many rural livelihood zones. Although La Nina ended in March 2025 and ENSO-neutral conditions currently exist, irregular rainfall, dry spells, and flooding are still negatively affecting crop and livestock production, agricultural labor demand, and associated household income in several regions.   Weather-related reductions in farm productivity are of greatest concern in areas concurrently affected by conflict or recovering from prior historic weather events, such as in parts of South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia: http://tinyurl.com/3xtab3yy   http://reliefweb.int/report/world/global-food-security-update-june-september-2025-amid-many-complex-crises-elevated-response-needed-sudan-and-gaza-june-23-2025 Visit the related web page
	View more stories