Multiple U.N. bodies have warned that the world is facing an escalating hunger crisis amid sharp declines in funding and worsening conflict, with more than 318 million people projected to experience severe hunger in 2026 – more than double the number in 2019.
Due to the worsening situation, the World Food Programme (WFP) projected Tuesday that it will only be able to assist about 110 million of the most vulnerable, with a planned budget of $13 billion for 2026.
Even that target is threatened by “current forecasts (that) suggest it may receive only about half that amount,” the WFP said. The world’s largest humanitarian agency for hunger response called attention to rapidly growing food emergencies in Gaza, Sudan, and other global hotspots.
“The world is grappling with simultaneous famines in Gaza and parts of Sudan. This is completely unacceptable in the 21st century,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. She added, “Hunger is becoming more entrenched. We know early, effective solutions save lives, but we desperately need more support.”
Compounding the crisis, the WFP’s largest donor, the U.S., has sharply pulled back foreign aid, and other leading nations have followed suit. The WFP expects a 40% drop in funding for 2025, estimating its incoming budget at just $6.4 billion, a sharp decrease from $10 billion in 2024.
The agency identified ongoing conflict, worsening extreme weather, and global economic instability as key causes behind rising food insecurity. While WFP famine prevention interventions in 2025 helped stave off starvation in affected communities, there has been no sign of the broader crisis easing. The WFP said it will continue to deliver emergency food and nutritional aid, build resilience in vulnerable communities, and strengthen national food systems by leveraging technology and technical support.
“WFP provides a critical lifeline to people on the frontlines of conflicts and disasters, and we are transforming how we work to invest in long-term solutions,” McCain said. “Ending entrenched hunger demands sustained support and real global commitment.” The agency urged governments and donors to invest in proven solutions to cut hunger and move toward a zero-hunger goal.
Wars worsen food insecurity
Earlier Monday, U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya addressed the U.N. Security Council, warning that violence in conflict zones is dramatically worsening food insecurity and putting millions of civilians at risk.
“The more intense the violence, the worse the food insecurity. Attacks harming civilians and civilian infrastructure leave fields abandoned, disrupt food supply chains, drive up prices, and destroy livelihoods,” Msuya said.
Highlighting the human cost, she added that “hunger is exposing people to greater risks of sexual exploitation and abuse and forced displacement as people struggle simply to feed themselves,” and emphasized that “women are especially impacted, often going without to prioritize their families.”
Addressing the conduct of war, Msuya stated, “In armed conflicts, international humanitarian law is clear: Civilians and civilian objects must be protected. The use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited. So is attacking, destroying, removing, or rendering useless objects indispensable to civilian survival.”
Msuya also updated the Council on humanitarian access in major crises. In Gaza, she said, “the U.N. and our partners are seizing every opening to save lives” since the cease-fire began Oct. 10, but “access is still restricted by limits at border crossings, delays to aid convoys, and bureaucratic impediments that slow the entry of vital supplies – and, in some cases, staff.”
In Sudan, “conflict has shattered food systems and displaced millions. More than 21 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity – the largest such crisis in the world. Yet many areas remain inaccessible to humanitarians. People trapped between front lines are cut off from assistance and enduring extreme hunger,” she added.
“Without political will, even the best coordination, negotiation, and funding will fall short. Preventing and ending hunger is not simply a logistical or financial challenge; it demands sustained political engagement,” Msuya said, outlining the need for international action to address hunger in conflict, protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian action, and strengthen accountability.
FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero reiterated the warning about the scale of global hunger, saying: “Around the world, nearly 673 million people still go to bed hungry. In Africa, 307 million men, women, and children lack sufficient food; in Asia, the number rises to 323 million; while in Latin America and the Caribbean, 34 million face undernourishment.”
“Food insecurity is no longer just a humanitarian challenge; it is a matter of global peace and security,” he said, adding that “Food security is not only a moral imperative. It is the most practical path to peace.”
