Farmers are engaged in preparing rice nurseries as part of the FAO Rice Scheme project in Aweil, South Sudan. ©FAO / Adam Ibrahim.
Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, and Palestine continue to be areas of significant concern, with Nigeria and Somalia now also being identified as regions where the risk of acute hunger is escalating towards catastrophic levels.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have issued a warning that acute food insecurity is projected to worsen for millions of individuals across 13 countries classified as “hunger hotspots” from June to November 2026.
The latest Hunger Hotspots report, published biannually through the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC), has identified Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, and Palestine as the most critical hunger hotspots globally, in terms of the severity and magnitude of hunger. Nigeria has been added to the list following projections indicating that populations in Borno State may experience catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity during the forthcoming period covered by the report. Similarly, Somalia is placed in this category, with populations in the Bay region of Burhakaba District facing a risk of famine.
Armed conflict and violence continue to be the primary drivers of acute food insecurity, affecting 12 of the 13 hotspots. These factors are exacerbated by economic shocks, severe funding shortages, and increasing risks associated with a forecasted El Niño event, which is anticipated to cause uneven rainfall, droughts, and flooding in already vulnerable countries.
This warning is issued amidst unprecedented funding shortfalls for humanitarian response. Funding for food assistance, emergency agricultural aid, and nutrition in food crises has decreased by an estimated 59 percent between 2022 and 2025, returning to levels last seen nearly a decade ago. Concurrently, the number of individuals experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity in these countries has risen to approximately 266 million.
The report further cautions that additional shocks are worsening the outlook for millions, due to recent events such as the ripple effects of the conflict in the Middle East and the Ebola outbreak in regions of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). These additional shocks pose a risk of further disrupting livelihoods, markets, and humanitarian access.
“We already know where the next hunger emergencies will occur,” stated FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol. “The challenge lies in acting early and at the necessary scale. When farmers are unable to plant, herders lose their animals, and markets are disrupted, food insecurity deepens rapidly. Early investment in emergency agricultural assistance and resilience is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect livelihoods, sustain local food production, and reduce future humanitarian needs.”
“The warnings in this report cannot be ignored,” said WFP Acting Executive Director Carl Skau. “Conflict, shocks, and disasters are forcing families to make impossible decisions about who gets to eat and who goes to bed hungry. Without action now, millions more are expected to face worsening levels of hunger in the months ahead, pushing some closer to famine. Our teams are ready to respond at speed and scale. We need resources to deliver food and access to reach people before hunger turns into catastrophe.”
Hotspots of greatest concern:
(A definition of IPC levels of food insecurity — crisis, emergency, and catastrophe/famine — is included at the bottom of this release).
In Sudan, a risk of famine has been identified in 14 areas across North Darfur, South Darfur, and South Kordofan through September 2026, and is expected to persist in 13 areas through the harvest period into January 2027. An estimated 19.5 million people — 41 percent of the population — faced high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) through May 2026, including 5 million in Emergency (IPC Phase 4). The situation is expected to worsen further, with the number of people in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) projected to rise to 200,000 across 15 areas in June–September 2026, up from 135,000 in February–May 2026.
In South Sudan, 7.8 million people — 55 percent of the population — are projected to face Crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) between April and July 2026, including 2.5 million people in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and approximately 73,000 people facing Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). Four counties are projected to face the risk of famine through July 2026.
In Yemen, acute food insecurity is expected to remain among the most severe globally in 2026. In earlier estimates, 18.3 million people were projected to face crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above) levels of acute food insecurity, representing over half the population. This includes 5.5 million people in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and 41,000 people projected to face Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) in Sanaa-based authority-controlled areas in 2026. According to more recent partial analysis, nearly 5.4 million people in Government-controlled areas are projected to face Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above) levels of acute food insecurity between June and September 2026.
Nigeria has also moved into the highest-concern group, where around 34.8 million people are projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity (Cadre Harmonisé Phase 3 or above) during June–August 2026, including 1.8 million in Emergency (CH Phase 4) and some 15,000 in Catastrophe (CH Phase 5) in Borno State.
In Palestine, conditions in the Gaza Strip have improved since the October 2025 ceasefire but remain fragile. The entire territory faced a risk of famine through mid-April 2026, with 1.6 million people acutely food insecure and requiring urgent assistance (77 percent of the population analyzed) including over half a million people in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and 1,900 people projected to face Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). No projection was available covering the Hunger Hotspots outlook period of June to November 2026 at the time of the report’s drafting.
In Somalia, around 6 million people were projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity between April and June 2026, including nearly 1.9 million projected to face Emergency (IPC Phase 4) levels. There is also now a risk of famine identified in Burhakaba District. This reflects the broader deterioration in acute food insecurity conditions in the country, stemming from multiple years of drought, record-low crop production, conflict, and the ripple effects of the Middle East conflict.
Hotspots of very great concern:
Afghanistan remains a hotspot of very great concern, facing consecutive droughts, high food prices, and escalating conflict.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, acute food insecurity remains severe, driven by conflict in eastern provinces and large-scale displacement. The resurgence of Ebola is adding a dangerous new layer of risk, threatening to worsen acute hunger by disrupting markets, mobility, and humanitarian operations.
Haiti, previously among hotspots of greatest concern, has moved into the very high concern category, reflecting limited and localized improvements including slowing inflation and better access along some road corridors, though conditions remain very fragile.
Other hotspots:
Myanmar and Mali are identified as hotspots, where conditions are expected to deteriorate as conflict, economic pressures, and climate variability compound vulnerability. Lebanon and Madagascar have been added to the list of hotspots as a result of the escalation of hostilities in late February 2026 and adverse and erratic weather conditions, respectively.
Overall, the report indicates a worsening outlook for millions of individuals in the second half of 2026, with unprecedented levels of catastrophic hunger persisting or threatening multiple contexts. It also emphasizes the importance of acting early to prevent the most severe outcomes.
Recommended Actions:
Through the Global Network Against Food Crises, FAO and WFP are advocating for urgent, coordinated action to scale up humanitarian assistance, ensure safe access, invest in livelihoods, and strengthen resilience.
The report highlights that early action saves lives, protects livelihoods, and is significantly more cost-effective than responding after crises have escalated. Without stronger political commitment, predictable financing, and collective action, hunger crises are likely to deepen across the world’s most vulnerable regions in the months ahead.
Source: FAO
