Extreme hunger is surging in 13 crisis zones, with Gaza, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali on the brink of famine unless aid reaches them fast, two U.N. agencies warned Monday.
In a joint “Hunger Hotspots” update, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program said conflict, economic shocks and climate disasters will drive severe food shortages over the next five months. “This report is a red alert,” WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said. “Without funding and access, we cannot save lives.”
Key findings:
- Gaza: Israel’s military offensive and blockade have pushed all 2.1 million residents into acute food insecurity; nearly 500,000 could face famine by late September.
- Sudan: War and mass displacement leave almost 25 million people at risk, extending a famine first confirmed in 2024.
- South Sudan: Floods and instability threaten 7.7 million, with 63,000 already in famine-like conditions.
- Haiti: Gang violence has uprooted thousands; 8,400 people are in catastrophic hunger.
- Mali: Ongoing conflict and soaring grain prices could push 2,600 into starvation by August.
Other high-concern countries include Yemen, Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar and Nigeria.
Under U.N. criteria, famine is declared when at least one-fifth of a population faces extreme food shortages, 30 percent of children are acutely malnourished and two of every 10,000 people die daily from hunger or related disease.
The report urged donors to fund food, health and security operations and to protect farms and livestock so families can keep producing food “even in the toughest conditions,” FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said.
Improved conditions in Ethiopia, Kenya and Lebanon saw those nations removed from the hotspot list.
