Overview
- The Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme released a joint assessment warning that acute hunger will worsen in 13 global hotspots and that Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, northeast Nigeria and Gaza face immediate risk of famine without urgent intervention.
- The report says roughly 266 million people are already experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity and projects conditions will deteriorate from June through November 2026, increasing the number of people near starvation.
- Humanitarian funding for food and agricultural assistance fell about 59% between 2022 and 2025, the agencies say, sharply limiting the ability of responders to deliver food, seeds, livestock support and cash transfers to at-risk communities.
- The agencies cite conflict and violence as the main drivers of the crisis in most hotspots and warn that spillovers from the Middle East conflict, an Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC and an expected El Niño will further disrupt markets, displacement and aid access.
- FAO and WFP leaders urged swift, coordinated international action on June 17, 2026, saying a rapid, scaled-up response to protect livelihoods and restore supply chains is the best means to prevent localized famines and wider humanitarian collapse.