‘Catastrophic’ hunger persists in multiple countries, warn food agencies

This article is published in association with United Nations.

“Catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity” bordering on starvation are expected to impact hundreds of thousands of people in coming months, driven principally by violence and conflict. Five hunger hotspots are of particular concern: Haiti, Mali, the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), South Sudan and Sudan, UN agencies said on Thursday. 

“Without immediate humanitarian action and concerted efforts to overcome severe access constraints and resolve ongoing conflicts, further starvation and death are likely,” across these five hunger hotspots, warned the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

In a new report designed to focus humanitarian action to prevent and respond to such crises, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) noted that famine has already been declared in North Darfur’s Zamzam camp, while other areas of the war-torn country remain at risk of famine.

In Gaza, the UN agencies point to the “enduring risk of famine” there, linked to the lack of aid access following the outbreak of war more than a year ago, along with chronic life-threatening hunger in Haiti, Mali and South Sudan.

Ceasefires never more urgent

“If we are to save lives and prevent acute hunger and malnutrition, we urgently need a humanitarian ceasefire,” said QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General. The FAO chief insisted on the need for Palestinians to be given access to highly nutritious food and enabled to start local food production once again.

Echoing that call, Cindy McCain, WFP Executive Director said that it was “time for world leaders to step up and work with us to reach the millions of people at risk of starvation; delivering diplomatic solutions to conflicts, using their influence to enable humanitarians to work safely, and mobilizing the resources and partnerships needed to halt global hunger in its tracks.”

Starvation warning for 22 countries

In all, 22 countries are designated “hunger hotspots”; they are expected to see “increase in magnitude and severity” of hunger levels because of conflict, economic crisis and climate shocks – not least from the “looming” La Niña weather phenomenon, whose impact on climates in already vulnerable regions is expected from now until March 2025.

Weather agencies have warned that La Niña will likely disrupt rainfall patterns which will impact farming “across numerous hunger hotspots”. The FAO/WFP report also noted that La Niña heightens the risk of flooding in Nigeria, South Sudan and other Southern African countries. It is also likely to bring drier-than-average conditions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, “further jeopardizing already fragile food systems”.

Without “immediate” assistance in all 22 at-risk countries and territories – including increased funding for food and livelihood support, “hundreds of thousands more people are expected to face starvation in the coming months”, the UN agencies maintained.

In addition to the five countries of highest concern – Haiti, Mali, OPT, South Sudan and Sudan – Chad, Lebanon, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Syria and Yemen remain hotspots of deep concern, “with a large number of people facing critical acute food insecurity, coupled with worsening drivers that are expected to further intensify life-threatening conditions in the coming months”, the UN report states.

New hunger hotspots

New hotspots of acute hunger added to the UN report since the last update in June are Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, and Niger. This is partly owing to the impact of climate extremes, along with conflict, economic instability and reduced funding for emergency food and agriculture assistance. “Immediate, scaled-up intervention is needed to prevent further deterioration in these already vulnerable regions,” the report’s authors insisted.