Hunger Crisis Deepens Across Multiple Conflicts

What's happened

Updated assessments show 7.8 million South Sudan residents, 1.24 million in Lebanon, and rising numbers in DRC, Yemen, and Gaza facing high to extreme hunger. Conflict, climate shocks, displacement, and funding shortfalls are driving a widening global food-security crisis with famine feared in several areas.

What's behind the headline?

Key dynamics

• Conflict and violence remain the primary drivers of acute hunger across multiple countries.
• Climate shocks and flooding are compounding food insecurity by raising prices and disrupting food systems.
• Public funding for humanitarian relief is declining, hindering both immediate relief and longer-term resilience.
• Displacement exposes populations to higher hunger risk and limited access to aid.

What this means for readers

• Millions of children are acutely malnourished, threatening long-term health and development.
• Regions with the worst outcomes face potential famine in coming months if aid access does not improve.
• Donor countries’ commitment and aid flows will shape the pace of relief and recovery.

Outlook

• If current trends persist, hunger levels will remain severe in 2026 with risk of escalation in conflict zones and constrained markets.

How we got here

The IPC and UN agencies have repeatedly warned that hunger is a growing, protracted global crisis, fueled by conflict and disrupted aid. Recent reports spotlight South Sudan, Lebanon, the DRC, Yemen, and Gaza as hotspots where nutrition and food access are collapsing under war, displacement, and economic collapse.

Our analysis

Al Jazeera, Reuters, All Africa, The Independent, The New Arab — IPC reports and UN agency briefings are central to this synthesis. Direct quotes from UN officials underscore the urgency: e.g., “Hunger in South Sudan is intensifying, not stabilizing,” and “A significant deterioration” in food security is underway.

Go deeper

• Which regions are most at risk of famine in the near term?
• How are aid budgets and access affecting relief efforts?
• What actions can readers take to support affected populations?

More on these topics

• Food and Agriculture Organization - Agency

  The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security.

• World Food Programme - Nonprofit organization

  The World Food Programme is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security.

• South Sudan - Country in North Africa

  South Sudan, officially known as the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East-Central Africa. It is bordered to the east by Ethiopia, to the north by Sudan, to the west by the Central African Republic, to the south-west by Democratic Repub

• Hezbollah - Political party

  Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese parliament.

• Lebanon - Country in the Middle East

  Lebanon, officially known as the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lies west across the Mediterranean Sea.

• Integrated Food Security Phase Classification - Scale to measure food insecurity that spans from 1 (best) to 5 (worst)

  The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, also known as IPC scale, is a tool for improving food security analysis and decision-making.

• United Nations - Intergovernmental organization

  The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.

• Gaza Strip

  The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 kilometers and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km border.

• Israel - Country in the Middle East

  Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.

• Jonglei - State of South Sudan

  Jonglei is a state of South Sudan. On 2 October 2015 the President Salva Kiir Mayardit decreed the creation of a new Jonglei State along with 27 other states replacing 10 previous states.

• Democratic Republic of the Congo - Country in Central Africa

  The Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Kinshasa, Zaire, DR Congo, DRC, the DROC, or simply the Congo, is a country located in Central Africa. It was formerly called Zaire.

• Sudan - Country in North Africa

  Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in North-East Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, Libya to the northwest, Chad to the west, the Central African Republic to the southwest, South Sudan to the south, Ethiopia to the southe