Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali are at immediate risk as severe hunger surges in 13 places. Severe hunger will worsen in 13 hotspots around the world in the coming months, with five states having the immediate risk of starvation, a United Nations report says.
The Hunger Hotspots report, published on Monday by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP), attributed conflict, economic shocks, and climate-related hazards to the Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali starvation threat.
The report, which forecasts food emergencies in the five months ahead, demands investment and assistance to facilitate the delivery of aid, which it stated was being eroded by insecurity and lack of funding.
The populations of the five worst-affected countries are experiencing “extreme hunger and risk of starvation and death in the coming months unless there is urgent humanitarian action”, threatened the UN agencies.
This report makes it very clear: hunger today is not a distant threat – it is a daily emergency for millions,” stated FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu. “We must act now, and act together, to save lives and safeguard livelihoods.
This is a red alert. We see where hunger is increasing and we see who is vulnerable,” WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said. “Without funding and access, we cannot save lives.
For famine to be declared, there should be at least 20 per cent of the population in a particular area experiencing extreme food deficits, 30 per cent of the children being acutely malnourished and two individuals out of every 10,000 dying every day due to starvation or disease and malnutrition.
Famine was confirmed to occur in Sudan in 2024. The crisis is likely to continue through conflict and displacement with nearly 25 million people at risk.
South Sudan, which has been affected by floods and political unrest, may have as many as 7.7 million people in crisis and 63,000 in famine-like situations, the report added.
In Palestine, Israel’s ongoing military strikes and Gaza blockade have resulted in the entire 2.1 million population being subjected to severe shortages of food, with an estimated half a million facing the risk of famine by the end of September, the report added.
