Rome, 24 April 2026 — Acute food insecurity and malnutrition remain at alarmingly high and deeply entrenched levels, with crises increasingly concentrated in a core group of countries, according to the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2026, published jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme, and the Global Network Against Food Crises. In its tenth edition, the report shows that acute hunger has doubled over the past decade, with two famines declared in 2025 for the first time in the report's history.
Approximately 266 million people across 47 countries and territories faced crisis-level or worse acute food insecurity in 2025, requiring urgent humanitarian assistance. Famine conditions (IPC Phase 5) were confirmed in parts of the Gaza Strip and Sudan, with risks persisting into 2026.
A Historic First: Two Simultaneous Famines
The confirmation of famine in parts of both the Gaza Strip and Sudan in 2025 marks an unprecedented moment in the history of global food crisis monitoring. The Gaza Strip experienced catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity during most of 2025, with Famine (IPC Phase 5) confirmed in mid-August in Gaza Governorate. In Sudan, conflict-driven displacement and the collapse of food systems pushed specific populations into famine conditions.
The Drivers
The report identifies three primary drivers of acute food insecurity, with conflict remaining overwhelmingly dominant:
| Driver | Role | Key Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Conflict | Leading driver | Displacement, disrupted markets, blocked humanitarian access |
| Weather extremes | Second driver | Droughts, floods, climate variability |
| Economic shocks | Third driver | Currency depreciation, food price inflation, trade disruptions |
Over 80 percent of those facing severe food insecurity live in protracted crisis contexts, where conflict is the main driver, followed by weather extremes and economic shocks. The concentration of crises in a core group of countries reflects the deeply entrenched nature of these emergencies — they are not temporary disruptions but structural conditions that persist year after year.
Entrenched and Protracted Crises
A defining feature of the GRFC 2026 is the finding that food crises are becoming increasingly protracted. The report highlights that acute hunger has doubled over the past decade, and that this growth is not distributed evenly but concentrated in a specific set of countries where conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability reinforce each other in what the report describes as a volatile cycle.
In areas like the Sahel and East Africa, climate shocks often overlap with conflict and economic instability, making recovery difficult. The persistence of famine risks in Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, and the Gaza Strip into 2026 underscores how political and security conditions can trap populations in chronic food emergency for years.
The Funding Gap
The FAO has noted that the gap between food security needs and available humanitarian and development funding is at an all-time high. This funding crisis has been exacerbated by reductions in official development assistance from major donor countries, creating a situation where humanitarian agencies are forced to do more with less.
Looking Ahead: 2026 Risks
Forecasts for 2026 and beyond warn of potential risks from climate phenomena like El Niño, which could further disrupt agricultural output, particularly for staples like rice, and exacerbate food inflation in vulnerable regions. The potential emergence of El Niño conditions adds another layer of risk to an already precarious global food security landscape.
The report identifies several countries and territories at highest risk of deterioration in 2026, including Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, and the Gaza Strip. Somalia was flagged as a high-risk area due to the combined effects of drought, conflict, and poor harvests, with specific districts facing famine risk.
Structural Barriers to Progress
The GRFC 2026 identifies several structural barriers that prevent the resolution of food crises:
- Agricultural productivity deficits in crisis-affected regions
- Value chain inefficiencies, including food loss and waste
- Geographic disparities in access to markets and services
- Protracted conflict that blocks humanitarian access and destroys livelihoods
- Climate change that increases the frequency and severity of weather extremes
The report serves as a key reference for understanding acute food insecurity at global, regional, and country levels. Produced through a collaborative effort among 18 partners, it provides a consensus-based assessment aimed at informing both humanitarian and development responses.
Sources:
- FAO/WFP/GNAFC, 2026 Global Report on Food Crises — Joint analysis for better decisions, April 2026, DOI: 10.4060/cd9424en
- WFP, Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2026, April 2026
- PreventionWeb, 2026 Global Report on Food Crises, 2026
- UNICEF UK, Acute food insecurity and malnutrition remain alarmingly high, 24 April 2026
- Food Security Cluster, The 2026 Global Report on Food Crises, 2026
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Institutional Research Desk · Foresight Institute of Research and Translation
The collective editorial and research translation board of FIRAT, synthesising peer-reviewed evidence, policy briefs, and division milestones across our seven foundational research pillars.
