Published On 13/11/2025
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Last update: 02:10 (Mecca time)
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Program have warned of the worsening crisis of acute food insecurity in 16 countries, putting the lives of millions of people at risk, especially in areas of conflict and climate disasters.
A joint report entitled “Hunger Hotspots” said that six countries face the risk of famine or catastrophic hunger, namely Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Mali, Haiti and Yemen, noting that some communities in these countries “may reach the stage of famine or something close to it.”
The report added that other countries are witnessing a worrying deterioration in food security, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Myanmar, Somalia, Syria and Afghanistan, in addition to Burkina Faso, Chad and Kenya, as well as the situation of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
The Executive Director of the World Food Program, Cindy McCain, explained that famine “is not an inevitable fate,” stressing that the international community has “the tools and knowledge to prevent it, but what is lacking are the resources and political will to act immediately.” She added that children are the group most at risk, because malnutrition weakens their immunity and increases their risk of disease and death.
The report showed that conflict and violence remain the main factor of hunger in 14 out of 16 hunger hotspots in the world, while economic shocks, the fragility of local economies, and rising prices exacerbate the crisis. He also pointed out that severe weather phenomena such as floods, droughts, and hurricanes associated with the “La Niña” phenomenon, in addition to the decline in humanitarian aid and lack of funding, all contributed to the expansion of hunger.
“Conflict remains the primary driver of hunger, but climate shocks and economic instability are exacerbating the crisis, leaving millions without a safety net,” said Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization.
The two organizations called for taking urgent and proactive measures to prevent famine, and to invest in strengthening resilience and addressing the root causes of the crisis, warning that “delay in action will cost lives that could be saved, and increase the humanitarian cost in the long term.”