An estimated 318 million people are expected to face acute hunger next year, with 41 million in Emergency or worse conditions (IPC Phase 4+), according to the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Global Outlook for 2026. The WFP also indicated that achieving zero hunger by 2030 would require just $93 billion annually, a figure that is less than one percent of the $21.9 trillion allocated to military budgets over the past decade.
The WFP’s report, released on Tuesday, confirmed the occurrence of two famines in Gaza and parts of Sudan, marking the first instance this century where two countries are experiencing famine simultaneously.
International assistance for the world’s hungriest populations is described as “slow, fragmented, and underfunded,” which could hinder adequate support for many in crisis regions next year, the WFP emphasized.
Sixteen hunger hotspots, including Haiti, Mali, Afghanistan, and Yemen, remain at elevated risk. The report noted that conflict is responsible for 69 percent of global hunger, while climate-related events such as droughts, floods, and storms further exacerbate the situation. For example, Syria’s crop production has declined by 60 percent, and Hurricane Melissa has recently impacted Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba.
“The poorest pay the ultimate price,” said Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General. She referenced an African proverb: “When the elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers,” highlighting the plight of vulnerable populations caught in the crossfire of powerful geopolitical conflicts.
In 2026, the WFP aims to support 110 million vulnerable individuals at an estimated cost of $13 billion, facilitating emergency food distribution, nutrition assistance, community resilience programs, and technical help to enhance national systems.
The report also reveals that nearly 38 million children under five are acutely malnourished across 26 nutrition crises, alongside 12 million pregnant and breastfeeding women who remain undernourished.
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