Acute Hunger and Malnutrition Deepen in 2024: A Humanitarian Crisis Unfolding

For the sixth year in a row, acute food insecurity and child malnutrition surged in 2024, pushing millions to the brink of survival in some of the world’s most fragile regions. The Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2025, released today by the Global Network Against Food Crises, delivers an alarming account of how conflict, climate extremes, economic turmoil, and forced displacement are fueling an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.

A Rising Tide of Hunger

The GRFC estimates that more than 295 million people across 53 countries and territories faced acute food insecurity in 2024, an increase of 13.7 million from the previous year. Most concerning is that 22.6 percent of the assessed population now suffers from acute food insecurity — marking the fifth consecutive year the rate has exceeded 20 percent.

The most extreme level of hunger — IPC/CH Phase 5 or Catastrophic hunger — affected a record 1.9 million people, more than double the previous year and the highest level since tracking began in 2016. These individuals are at imminent risk of starvation and death without immediate intervention.

Children at the Center of the Crisis

Malnutrition levels, especially among children, have reached critical highs. In 2024, nearly 38 million children under five years of age were acutely malnourished across 26 countries facing nutrition crises. Countries such as Gaza, Mali, Sudan, and Yemen are among the hardest hit, where food scarcity intersects with violent conflict and collapse of basic services.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell called it “a failure of humanity,” emphasizing the grave consequences for children’s health, dignity, and future. “There is no excuse,” she said. “In a world of plenty, no child should go hungry.”

Displacement and Hunger: A Deadly Nexus

Forced displacement continues to exacerbate food insecurity. Nearly 95 million forcibly displaced people — including refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) — now live in countries already facing acute food crises. These include hotspots such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Sudan, and Syria.

This figure represents a significant portion of the 128 million forcibly displaced people globally, underscoring the complex interplay between displacement and hunger.

Root Causes: Conflict, Economic Shocks, and Climate Extremes

The report identifies four key drivers behind the worsening crisis:

1. Conflict and Insecurity: The primary driver, affecting 140 million people in 20 countries, with famine declared in Sudan and catastrophic hunger reported in the Gaza Strip, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali.

2. Economic Shocks: High inflation, currency devaluation, and economic collapse pushed 59.4 million people in 15 countries into food crises. Notable examples include Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan, and Yemen.

3. Climate Extremes: El Niño-induced droughts and floods disrupted food production and availability in 18 countries, impacting over 96 million people in regions like Southern Africa, Southern Asia, and the Horn of Africa.

4. Declining Humanitarian Funding: Perhaps most alarmingly, the report warns of the sharpest drop in humanitarian funding in GRFC’s history. This has hamstrung emergency responses and left millions without critical food and nutrition aid.

Urgent Call for a Paradigm Shift

The GRFC emphasizes that emergency aid alone is insufficient. A bold reset is urgently needed — one that combines evidence-based, long-term investments in rural development, resilient local food systems, and integrated nutrition services.

Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), highlighted that humanitarian organizations like WFP are being forced to scale down assistance due to severe budget shortfalls, putting millions more at risk. “We have tried and tested solutions to hunger,” she said, “but we need donor support to implement them.”

Voices from the Frontlines

• António Guterres, UN Secretary-General: “This is more than a failure of systems – it is a failure of humanity. Hunger in the 21st century is indefensible.”

• QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General: “Emergency agriculture is the most cost-effective response to deliver long-term impact.”

• Alvaro Lario, IFAD President: “Stability beyond emergencies depends on investments in rural development.”

• Raouf Mazou, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner: “Displaced people need real opportunities, not just emergency rations.”

• Hadja Lahbib, EU Commissioner: “We reaffirm our commitment to fight hunger and uphold humanitarian law.”

Outlook for 2025: Bleak Without Bold Action

The GRFC warns that the hunger crisis will likely persist into 2025, driven by the convergence of unresolved conflicts, climate shocks, and continued underfunding. The Global Network calls on international donors, governments, and civil society to unite with urgency and resolve — to not only respond to the symptoms but to confront the root causes of food insecurity head-on.

In a world capable of producing enough food for all, the hunger and suffering of hundreds of millions remains a stark indictment of global priorities.