A United Nations-backed report has revealed that two-thirds of people facing food crises worldwide last year were concentrated in just 10 countries, with a significant share in Sudan, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Global Report on Food Crises, compiled using data from the United Nations, the European Union, and humanitarian organisations, identified conflict as the leading cause of severe food insecurity.
It warned that ongoing conflicts and climate extremes are “likely to sustain or worsen conditions in many countries”, adding that the outlook for 2026 is “bleak”.
“Acute food insecurity remains highly concentrated (in) 10 countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, and Yemen,” the report stated.
While some nations, including Bangladesh and Syria, recorded improvements, these gains were “almost fully offset by notable deteriorations” in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, and Zimbabwe.
For the first time in its 10 editions, the report confirmed famine in two separate regions within the same year — Gaza and parts of Sudan.
It further disclosed that about 266 million people across 47 countries or territories experienced severe food insecurity in 2025, nearly double the figure recorded in 2016.
The report also raised concerns over declining international aid and warned that tensions in the Middle East could worsen existing crises by increasing displacement and driving up fertiliser costs.
The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, a major global oil route, has contributed to rising fertiliser prices due to their dependence on oil-based inputs.
“Now we’re in planting season,” said Alvaro Lario, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
“So for sure this current food shock — both with the energy prices going up and also fertilisers going up — I think it’s going to have a massive impact in terms of production,” he added.
Lario called for increased support for small-scale farmers, including investments in water-efficient and climate-resilient crops.
He also suggested that local fertiliser production and improved soil management could help ease the crisis.
“Creating the instruments and incentives for the local private sector… is a very important way of making that sustainability and that development money go a longer way,” he said.