ROME — On Wednesday, the United Nations’ food agencies issued a stark warning about the escalating crisis of acute hunger set to intensify in 13 critical areas worldwide. Conflict, climate disruptions, and financial shortfalls are driving millions closer to the brink of famine.
In a freshly released joint report, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) alongside the World Food Program (WFP) forecast a worsening situation from June to November 2026. Currently, about 266 million individuals are enduring severe food insecurity, prompting an urgent call for immediate intervention.
The report highlights “Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, and Palestine” as the most critical regions of concern. Additionally, Nigeria and Somalia have now entered this high-risk category due to deteriorating conditions and increasing famine threats.
According to the agencies, hunger in nearly all these hotspots is primarily driven by conflict and violence, exacerbated by economic turbulence, significant reductions in humanitarian aid, and the anticipated effects of an El Niño weather pattern, potentially leading to droughts and floods in vulnerable areas.
The report indicates a drastic decline in funding for food aid and related initiatives — a plunge of approximately 59% since 2022 — despite the rising demand for assistance.
“The warnings in this report cannot be ignored,” said WFP Acting Executive Director Carl Skau. “Without action now, millions more are expected to face worsening levels of hunger in the months ahead, pushing some closer to famine.”
Conditions in the Gaza Strip have improved since an October 2025 ceasefire but remain fragile, the report said. About 1.6 million people — roughly 77% of the population analyzed — were acutely food insecure earlier this year and in need of urgent assistance, including more than half a million in emergency levels and a smaller number facing catastrophic conditions.
Officials also warned that additional pressures, including spillover effects from the Middle East conflict and an Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, are worsening the outlook by disrupting markets, livelihoods and aid access.
The FAO and the WFP called for swift, coordinated international action to scale up aid, protect livelihoods and prevent further deterioration, warning that without swift intervention, millions more could face catastrophic hunger in the months ahead.