Acute hunger and child malnutrition worsened for the sixth consecutive year in 2024, according to the latest Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) released this week. The report reveals that over 295 million people across 53 countries faced crisis-level or worse hunger, a 5% increase from 2023. Conflict, economic shocks, climate extremes, and forced displacement were identified as the primary drivers of this escalating crisis.
The number of individuals experiencing catastrophic hunger (IPC/CH Phase 5) more than doubled, reaching 1.9 million, the highest since the GRFC began tracking in 2016. Gaza and Sudan were among the most severely affected regions.
In Gaza, border closures and the collapse of a ceasefire have placed its 2.1 million residents at critical risk of famine. Meanwhile, Sudan’s ongoing civil war has left more than 24 million people facing acute food insecurity.
Child malnutrition has also reached alarming levels, with nearly 38 million children under the age of five acutely malnourished across 26 crisis-hit countries. Particularly high levels of child malnutrition were reported in Gaza, Mali, Sudan, and Yemen.
The crisis has been further compounded by forced displacement. Out of 128 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, nearly 95 million, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), asylum seekers, and refugees, are living in countries already facing food crises, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Sudan, and Syria.
Conflict remains the leading cause of food insecurity, affecting around 140 million people across 20 countries. Famine has been officially declared in Sudan, while catastrophic levels of acute hunger are being reported in Gaza, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali.
Economic turmoil, including inflation and currency devaluation, has triggered food insecurity in 15 countries, impacting nearly 59.4 million people, almost double the number recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries like Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen remain among the worst affected by these persistent economic shocks.
Climate-related events have also played a significant role. El Nino-induced droughts and floods have pushed 18 countries into crisis, affecting over 96 million people across Southern Africa, Southern Asia, and the Horn of Africa.
The GRFC warns that hunger shocks are likely to continue into 2025, especially as the Global Network anticipates the most significant reduction in humanitarian funding for food and nutrition crises in the report's history.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, "Hunger in the 21st century is indefensible. We cannot respond to empty stomachs with empty hands and turned backs."
