In 2024, more than 295 million people face acute hunger, and the prospects are "bleak" due to cuts in funding for aid work.
Global hunger reached new highs last year in the “dark” outlook for 2025, according to a UN-backed report.
The 2025 Global Food Crisis Report (GFRC) released on Friday in 2024, acute food insecurity and child malnutrition increased by more than 295 million people in 53 countries and regions for the sixth consecutive year.
Conflict, extreme weather and economic shocks are identified as the main drivers.
The report analyzed through collaborative efforts with UN agencies and noted that the 5% increase in hunger levels in 2023 is the sixth consecutive time.
Overall, 22.6% of the population in the hardest hit areas experienced crisis-level hunger or worse.
Conflict is the main cause of hunger, affecting 20 countries in 2024, including areas facing "catastrophic" food insecurity levels in Gaza, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali. The Sultan has confirmed the famine.
Economic shocks such as inflation and currency depreciation have plunged 59.4 million people into food crises in 15 countries, including Syria and Yemen.
Extreme weather, especially droughts and floods caused by El Nino, have put 18 countries in crisis, affecting more than 96 million people, especially in southern Africa, South Asia and the Horn of Africa.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the report a "firm prosecution of the world's dangerous deviant route."
"From Canada and Sudan to Yemen and Mali, catastrophic hunger driven by conflict and other factors is a record high that pushes families to the brink of hunger," Guterres said.
He added: "It's not just a system failure - it's a human failure. Hunger in the 21st century is undefensible. We cannot react with empty hands and turn around."
Afghanistan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen are among the most populous countries, with the highest population facing acute food insecurity.
The report found that “the number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity is almost three times higher”.
In addition, 26 countries with acute food crises were found to experience nutritional crises.
Sudan, Yemen, Mali and Palestine faced "the worst nutrition crisis" last year.
In July 2024, the famine was confirmed at Zamzam camp in northern Darfur, Sudan. Later, it was determined in four other regions of the country from October to November, "from December 2024 to May 2025, and five other regions".
In Palestine, when the famine is expected to be in March 2024, it was avoided due to the scale of humanitarian aid. But as the war in Gaza continues, Israel’s lockdown on aid remains, the report found that “acute food insecurity, malnutrition and mortality” could pass the threshold of famine by September.
Last year, food insecurity in 15 countries, including Ukraine, Kenya and Guatemala, was caused by the expansion of humanitarian aid, improvements in harvests, alleviating inflation and falling conflicts.
However, the report warns that the outlook is bleak, as major donor countries have significantly reduced humanitarian funding.