Action Against Hunger Reports Global Acute Hunger Doubled
Action Against Hunger reports that 266 million people face acute hunger as humanitarian food aid fell 59 percent between 2022 and 2025.
The humanitarian organization Action Against Hunger reported on October 15, 2026, that acute hunger has doubled globally over the last decade. Approximately 266 million people across 47 countries and territories are now affected, with two-thirds of that total concentrated in just 10 countries, including Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Sudan, and Syria.
Conflict remains a primary driver of the crisis, with famine confirmed in parts of Gaza and Sudan in 2025. The report notes that South Sudan has entered the top 10 food crises for the first time, with over half its population facing severe food insecurity. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the food crisis coincides with the worst cholera epidemic in 25 years.
Funding for humanitarian food aid fell 59 percent between 2022 and 2025, while official development assistance dropped 23 percent in 2025. These cuts forced Action Against Hunger to reduce its staff in South Sudan by over 60 percent. The organization is now calling on governments and donors to provide flexible, multi-year funding and invest in climate adaptation and local food systems to prevent further crises.
