A new joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warns that acute food insecurity is deepening in 16 hunger hotspots, which threatens to drive millions more into famine or risk of famine.
Time is quickly running out to avert widespread starvation in the areas of highest concern. Conflict, economic shocks, extreme weather, and critical funding shortfalls are exacerbating dire conditions. Despite the growing urgency to provide lifesaving assistance at scale, funding is perilously limited.
The latest Hunger Hotspots report, which covers the period from November 2025 through May 2026, finds that in 14 of the 16 hotspots identified, conflict and violence are the primary drivers of hunger.
The report cites six countries and territories of highest concern - Haiti, Mali, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen - where populations face an imminent risk of catastrophic hunger (IPC/CH Phase 5).
Six more countries - Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, and the Syrian Arab Republic - are classified as "very high concern".
The other four hotspots are Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya and the situation of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
Funding gaps driving aid reductions
As these hunger hotspots edge closer to catastrophic conditions, or even famine, humanitarian funding is falling dangerously short. As of the end of October 2025, only $10.5 billion out of the $29 billion required to assist people most at risk had been received.
Severe shortfalls are crippling emergency responses, forcing deep ration cuts and reducing access to food for the most vulnerable groups with refugee food assistance at a breaking point.
Assistance coverage has dropped across most hunger hotspots. WFP has been forced to tighten targeting criteria and reduce assistance for refugees and displaced people. At the same time, critical nutrition and school feeding programmes have been suspended in some countries, leaving children, refugees, and displaced families at extreme risk.
FAO warns that funding shortages are also critically undermining efforts to protect agricultural livelihoods, which are essential for stabilizing food production and preventing recurring crises. Without urgent financing, vital livelihood support - such as seeds, livestock health services, and anticipatory agricultural action - will not reach communities before planting seasons begin or new shocks occur. This will erode resilience and heighten the risk of future crises.
Across the hunger hotspot countries, household food production and incomes remain insufficient to meet basic needs. Programmes that build resilience are now crucial to protect livelihoods and reduce dependence on emergency aid.
Preventing famine before it's too late
FAO and WFP stress that famine is almost always predictable and preventable. Together, they call on the international community to urgently refocus global attention on famine prevention and scale up investments in long-term food security and resilience.
"The world's early warning systems work - this is fundamental for early action," said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. "We must move from reacting to crises, to preventing them. Investing in livelihoods, resilience and social protection before hunger peaks will save lives and resources. Famine prevention is not just a moral duty - it is a smart investment in long-term peace and stability. Peace is a prerequisite for food security and the right to food is a basic human right."
FAO and WFP urge governments, donors, and partners to heed the warnings signalled by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system and Cadre Harmonisé (CH), and act urgently before conditions reach catastrophic thresholds. Anticipatory action - assistance before a crisis strikes to enable populations to withstand hunger shocks - saves lives and is far more cost-effective than delayed crisis response, while sustained investments in resilience-building are essential to protect rural livelihoods and prevent the escalation of hunger.
They also stress the urgent need to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access in conflict-affected areas, so that life-saving food, nutrition, and agricultural assistance can reach those in need.
"We are on the brink of a completely preventable hunger catastrophe that threatens widespread starvation in multiple countries," said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. "Mothers are skipping meals so their children can eat, and families are exhausting what little they have left as they struggle to survive. We urgently need new funding and unimpeded access - a failure to act now will only drive further instability, migration, and conflict."
FAO and WFP emphasize that famine is preventable, but only with political will, leadership, adequate funding, and collective accountability. Millions of lives depend on decisive action now.
The bi-annual Hunger Hotspots report is developed with financial support from the European Union through the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC).
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