UN warns acute hunger will worsen in 13 hotspots

Worsening hunger could push millions closer to famine in 13 global hotspots

A new  Hunger Hotspots report released Wednesday by the  UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the  World Food Programme (WFP) identifies 13 countries and territories where food insecurity is expected to worsen between June and November 2026 .

Rock bottom

Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen and Palestine remain the most critical hotspots, while Nigeria and Somalia have moved into the highest-risk category amid growing concerns over famine.

Conflict remains the main cause of hunger, affecting 12 of the 13 hotspots.

“Conflict, shocks, and disasters are forcing families to make impossible decisions about who gets to eat and who goes to bed hungry,” said WFP Acting Executive Director Carl Skau.

Hunger worsens as aid dries up

The warning comes as humanitarian funding continues to decline.

Support for food assistance, emergency farming programmes and nutrition responses in crisis settings dropped by an estimated 59 per cent between 2022 and 2025 – levels not seen in nearly a decade.

At the same time, about 266 million people across these countries are facing severe food insecurity.

“The challenge is whether we act early enough and at the necessary scale,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol.

FAO noted that emergency support for agriculture remains one of the most effective ways to help families keep producing food and reduce reliance on aid.

Most severe crises

Sudan remains the world’s worst hunger crisis, with famine risks across parts of Darfur and South Kordofan expected to continue into early 2027. Nearly 20 million people faced crisis-level hunger or worse earlier this year.

Yemen continues to experience one of the world’s most serious hunger crises, with earlier estimates showing more than 18 million people could face severe food shortages.

In Palestine , conditions in Gaza remain fragile despite some improvements after the October 2025 ceasefire. More than 1.6 million people were previously assessed as needing urgent food support.

Nigeria has entered the highest-risk category after forecasts showed parts of Borno State could face catastrophic hunger.

Somalia was also upgraded due to drought, conflict and poor harvests, with famine risks identified in Burhakaba District.

Deteriorating conditions

The report warns that new crises could make conditions worse.

“Economic shocks are compounding food insecurity, and climate change and climate variability are also further intensifying the situation,” Jean-Martin Bauer, Director of the World Food Programme's (WFP) Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Service.

Conflict in the Middle East and the latest Ebola epidemic in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo may further disrupt markets and humanitarian access.

Climate risks are also growing, with a possible El Niño event expected to bring drought and flooding to already vulnerable areas.

FAO and WFP urged governments and donors to increase support now to prevent conditions from worsening.

“As of June 2026 only about a third of the hyper prioritized requirements for food security funding and activities globally has been met, forcing extremely difficult choices ,” said FAO Director, Rein Paulsen, briefing reporters at UN Headquarters.

The agencies stressed that acting early saves both lives and resources and warned that without stronger political commitment and more reliable funding, hunger is likely to deepen across some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.