Acute hunger doubles to 266 mn as humanitarian food aid falls 59 percent

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 16— Acute hunger has doubled worldwide over the past decade, affecting 266 million people across 47 countries and territories, as humanitarian food aid funding falls sharply, according…

The report, released ahead of World Food Day, warns that worsening food crises are coinciding with shrinking resources for emergency assistance, leaving millions of vulnerable people at greater risk of hunger and malnutrition.

Titled The 10 Largest Global Food Crises, the report finds that humanitarian food aid in crisis-hit countries fell by 59 per cent between 2022 and 2025, returning to levels last recorded in 2016 and 2017.

Official development assistance also declined by 23 per cent in 2025, with a further drop expected this year, threatening efforts to respond to growing food insecurity.

The findings draw on data from the 2026 Global Report on Food Crises, FAO-WFP Hunger Hotspots reports and Action Against Hunger’s operations in more than 50 countries.

Source: Capital FM