Global Hunger Hits Record High as Conflict and Crises Push Millions to the Brink
In a stark and sobering revelation, a new UN-backed report has found that over 295 million people worldwide suffered from acute hunger in 2024 the highest number ever recorded. The report, released Friday, paints a grim picture of a world where food insecurity is spiraling out of control, driven primarily by conflict, climate disasters, and economic shocks.
This marks the sixth straight year of rising hunger, with nearly one in four people across 53 of the 65 countries studied facing severe food shortages. The number of people on the edge of famine more than doubled from the previous year, climbing to a staggering 1.9 million.
A World on the Edge of Starvation
From the cramped food distribution centers in Gaza to the war-ravaged regions of Sudan, Yemen, and Mali, millions of families are facing an unimaginable choice: where to find their next meal. Gaza, in particular, is teetering on the edge of famine after enduring over two months of an Israeli aid blockade, according to the report’s food security monitor.
“From Gaza to Sudan, Yemen to Mali, catastrophic hunger driven by conflict and other crises is pushing households to the edge of starvation,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“The message is stark: Hunger and malnutrition are spreading faster than our ability to respond even as a third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted.”
Conflict, Climate, and Economic Shocks A Deadly Trio
The report highlights that conflict and violence are the primary drivers in 20 countries, impacting 140 million people. Meanwhile, extreme weather events like droughts and floods have fueled hunger in 18 countries, and economic shocks have worsened food insecurity in 15 others together affecting 155 million people.
While some countries, including Afghanistan and Kenya, showed signs of improvement, deteriorating conditions in places like Gaza, Myanmar, and Sudan overshadowed the progress.
Humanity at a Crossroads
Guterres called the unfolding crisis “more than a failure of systems it is a failure of humanity.” He warned of a bleak outlook for 2025 as major donor countries sharply cut humanitarian aid funding, leaving aid organizations struggling to keep pace with the growing need.
The report warns that funding for humanitarian food assistance could plummet by as much as 45 percent, putting millions more at risk.
Funding Cuts Compound Crisis
The sudden withdrawal of aid funding has already disrupted vital operations in some of the world’s most fragile regions including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen.
These cuts come amid heightened global economic uncertainty, driven by US tariffs, a weaker dollar, and reduced foreign aid budgets notably under the previous US administration.
A Call to Action
The report’s grim findings underscore the urgent need for renewed global commitment. As Guterres emphatically stated:
“Hunger in the 21st century is indefensible. We cannot respond to empty stomachs with empty hands and turned backs.”
With the world at a critical crossroads, the challenge remains: will governments and global institutions rise to meet the scale of this humanitarian emergency, or will millions more fall victim to a preventable catastrophe?
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Global Hunger Hits Record High as Conflict and Crises Push Millions to the Brink