ROME — A recent report from United Nations food agencies has revealed that severe food crises are putting hundreds of thousands at risk in regions such as the Palestinian territories, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali, where many individuals are on the brink of famine. The report, released on Thursday, highlights that factors such as ongoing conflicts, economic instability, and climate-related shocks are significantly contributing to alarming rates of acute food insecurity, worsened by a decline in funding for emergency food and agriculture aid.
The urgent need for “immediate, scaled-up intervention” to halt the further decline in these already vulnerable regions is strongly emphasized in the document. Experts from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) project that acute food insecurity is set to escalate in 16 “hunger hotspots” over the following six months across 14 countries and two regions.
Among the areas of highest concern remain Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, Mali, and the Palestinian territories. In addition, countries like Chad, Lebanon, Myanmar, Mozambique, Nigeria, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Yemen have been classified as “hotspots of very high concern,” where a significant number of people are facing, or projected to face, extreme levels of food insecurity.
The report attributes ongoing hunger primarily to conflicts and armed violence, which disrupt food systems, lead to displacements, and hinder humanitarian access. The situation in Sudan, in particular, is expected to deteriorate further, potentially causing a wave of mass displacement and an escalation in famine conditions, which will likely result in a growing number of individuals facing critical situations.
This deterioration will exacerbate the already severe regional humanitarian crisis, prompting increased movement of people across borders to neighboring countries such as Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, and the Central African Republic. Additionally, the UN agencies pointed out that persistent conflicts in the Palestinian territories are creating “unprecedented needs,” driving near-total displacement within the population and heightening the risk of regional spillover.
In Lebanon, escalating conflict is also leading to a dramatic rise in the number of individuals in need of humanitarian assistance, severely impacting food security levels. Since the last assessment in May 2024, countries like Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, and Niger have been added to the list of hunger hotspots, partly due to the adverse effects of extreme weather conditions.
The report underscores that extreme weather events and increasing climate variability are further exacerbating food insecurity in numerous regions. The natural climate phenomenon known as La Niña, associated with cooler ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, is forecasted to continue until March 2025, significantly affecting rainfall patterns and temperature variations.
While La Niña may enhance agricultural conditions in certain areas, it also raises the risk of flooding in regions such as Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The UN agencies stress the necessity of immediate humanitarian efforts and cohesive international action to alleviate severe constraints that contribute to these crises and advocate for reduced hostilities to prevent further famine and loss of life, especially in Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali.
To effectively tackle and avert famine in these vulnerable regions, a greater commitment to integrated solutions is essential—these must transcend traditional approaches and address the root causes of food insecurity while decreasing reliance on emergency assistance.