Gaza, Haiti, Sudan, South Sudan, and Mali have been designated as regions on maximum alert, confronting the most severe risk of food insecurity for their populations. The United Nations issued a stark warning on Monday, emphasizing the immediate and “urgent” need for global community intervention.
A joint report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) indicates that without a swift and substantial humanitarian response, inhabitants in these five critical hotspots face extreme hunger, with the looming threat of famine and widespread mortality in the coming months.
Cindy McCain, the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, underscored the gravity of the situation, stating, “This report serves as a red alert. We possess knowledge of where hunger is intensifying and which populations are most vulnerable.”
These devastating crises are compounded by increasing restrictions on access and significant funding shortfalls.
Gaza and Sudan: escalating food security concerns
In Sudan, famine conditions have been verified since 2024. The UN projects that this dire situation will persist due to ongoing conflict and mass displacement, particularly impacting the Grand Kordofan and Grand Darfur regions. Approximately 24.6 million individuals are anticipated to face crisis-level or worse acute food insecurity, with 637,000 people experiencing catastrophic levels by May 2025.
The likelihood of famine in Gaza is intensifying as large-scale military operations severely impede the delivery of essential humanitarian aid, including food and non-food items. The entire population of the Palestinian enclave, estimated at 2.1 million people, is expected to encounter crisis-level or worse acute food insecurity, with 470,000 individuals projected to face catastrophic conditions by September 2025.
Catastrophic conditions in Haiti
South Sudan faces a “grim outlook,” with famine risk confirmed in two of its regions. Around 7.7 million people, representing 57% of the population, are expected to suffer from high levels of acute food insecurity between April and July 2025. Among these, 63,000 individuals are anticipated to reach catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity.
In Haiti, unprecedented levels of gang violence and pervasive insecurity are causing widespread displacement and crippling access to vital aid. Already, over 8,400 internally displaced persons within the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince are projected to experience catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity by June 2025.
Mounting concerns in Mali
Meanwhile, in Mali, soaring cereal prices and persistent conflict are eroding the resilience of the most vulnerable households, particularly in conflict-affected zones. An estimated 2,600 people are at risk of catastrophic food insecurity between June and August 2025 if timely assistance is not provided.
Beyond these most critical hotspots, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, and Nigeria are now classified as highly concerning, requiring urgent attention to save lives and livelihoods. Additional hotspots include Burkina Faso, Chad, Somalia, and Syria.
Qu Dongyu, the Director-General of the FAO, emphasized, “This report unequivocally demonstrates: hunger today is not a distant threat – it is a daily emergency for millions of people.” He urged, “We must act now, and act collectively, to save lives and protect livelihoods.”
Despite budget cuts, some progress observed
Conversely, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have been removed from the list of hunger hotspots. In East and Southern Africa, as well as Niger, improved climatic conditions for harvests and a reduction in extreme weather events have eased food security pressures. Lebanon’s removal from the list follows a decrease in the intensity of military operations.
However, this global deterioration in food insecurity unfolds amidst severe funding deficits, which compel reductions in food rations and constrain the reach of essential nutrition and agricultural interventions.
Ms. McCain stressed, “We possess the necessary tools and expertise to respond, yet without funding and unimpeded access, we are powerless to save lives. Urgent and sustained investment in food aid and recovery support is critically important, as the window of opportunity to avert another devastating famine is rapidly closing.”
