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A UN-backed report has revealed that more than 295 million people endured acute hunger in 2023, the highest figure ever recorded, as global crises continue to overwhelm humanitarian responses. The Global Report on Food Crises, released on Friday, warned that the outlook for 2025 is “bleak” due to deepening conflict and dwindling aid.
Covering 65 countries, the report found that 295.3 million people in 53 of those nations experienced severe food insecurity last year, marking the sixth straight year of rising acute hunger.
Conflict remained the main driver, particularly in war-torn regions like Gaza, Sudan, Yemen and Mali. “Catastrophic hunger driven by conflict and other factors is hitting record highs, pushing households to the edge of starvation,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in the report.
Of those suffering, 140 million were in 20 countries and territories where conflict and violence were the leading causes. A further 155 million people were impacted by extreme weather events in 18 countries and economic shocks in 15 others.
Guterres noted the contradiction in a world where massive hunger coexists with widespread food waste. “Hunger and malnutrition are spreading faster than our ability to respond, yet globally, a third of all food produced is lost or wasted,” he stated.
The report also highlighted a critical funding shortfall, as donor countries are reducing support for humanitarian aid. This funding gap, the UN warns, could worsen hunger in the coming year.
“This is more than a failure of systems – it is a failure of humanity,” Guterres added. “Hunger in the 21st century is indefensible. We cannot respond to empty stomachs with empty hands and turned backs.”
With global hunger rising steadily, the report calls for urgent international cooperation, sustained funding, and investment in conflict resolution, climate resilience and equitable food systems to prevent millions from being pushed further into starvation.
