Over 280 million people in 59 countries and territories faced high levels of acute hunger last year, a worldwide increase of 24 million from the year prior — and the jump is mostly driven by worsening conflict in places such as the Gaza Strip, Sudan, and Haiti.
That’s according to the 2024 Global Report on Food Crises published this week, which found that global hunger levels have increased for the fifth year in a row. Climate shocks and economic crises are additional reasons behind the increase, along with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout of the war in Ukraine.
The report notes that the outlook for the immediate future is “bleak,” as conflicts drag on domestic food, prices remain stubbornly high and humanitarian aid funding by international donors decreases, adding to existing cuts to rations for people who are food insecure. Drought conditions driven by the El Niño weather phenomenon have also led Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to declare national disasters earlier this year due to declining crop production.
About the author
Tania Karas@TaniaKaras
Tania Karas is a Senior Editor at Devex, where she edits coverage on global development and humanitarian aid in the Americas. Previously, she managed the digital team for The World, where she oversaw content production for the website, podcast, newsletter, and social media platforms. Tania also spent three years as a foreign correspondent in Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon, covering the Syrian refugee crisis and European politics. She started her career as a staff reporter for the New York Law Journal, covering immigration and access to justice.
