Â鶹ÊÓƵ has scaled-up its emergency response in Akobo East, South Sudan, delivering vital food and nutrition assistance to hundreds of thousands of people facing catastrophic hunger and malnutrition, even as insecurity, infrastructure damage and the onset of the rainy season continue to hamper operations.
New data shows that 7.8 million people - 56 per cent of the population, among the highest in the world today ¨C are facing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) between April and July 2026. This includes 73,300 people facing Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5)¡ªthe most severe level of hunger¡ªwhile 2.5 million people are in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and 5.3 million in Crisis (IPC Phase 3).
Seasonal rains and floods in Sudan and its neighbours (Chad, South Sudan, Libya) are adding another layer of misery for hungry families displaced by Sudan¡¯s war and complicating Â鶹ÊÓƵ¡¯s humanitarian response as convoys of lifesaving food are affected by flooded roads and destroyed bridges.
The most recent El Ni?o event is one of the five strongest on record and has led to significant alterations in weather patterns around the world exacerbating the impacts of the global climate crisis, resulting in more frequent and intense droughts, floods and tropical cyclones.
Climate change continues to wreak havoc in Eastern Africa, a region with minimal emissions yet which bears the brunt of the global climate emergency. Five consecutive failed rainy seasons from 2020 to 2022 resulted in a devasting drought that pushed millions into food insecurity and malnutrition as livelihoods were destroyed at a massive scale ¨C damage that will take families and communities many years to recover.
Cyclone Mocha, the strongest storm to strike the Bay of Bengal in over a decade, has wreaked havoc on millions of vulnerable people, particularly in Myanmar. Heavy rains and winds triggered flash floods and landslides, washing away thousands of homes, and causing widespread damage to infrastructure in Bangladesh and Myanmar.
South Sudan is simultaneously drowning and drying as the climate crisis tightens its grip. An unprecedented flooding crisis has swallowed large swathes of the country while other parts are grappling with devastating drought.
South Sudan is on the frontlines of the climate crisis and millions in the country are living the daily reality of a worsening climate. More than one million people have been impacted by an unprecedented, multi-year flood event that is sweeping the nation, exacerbating high levels of hunger caused by ongoing conflict and the global food crisis.
In Somalia, historic drought, compounded by insecurity is displacing thousands and sending hunger and malnutrition rates soaring. Famine is projected in Baidoa and Burkhaba districts before the end of the year if the situation continues to worsen and assistance doesn¡¯t reach those who need it.
The UN Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) is expanding assistance in the Horn of Africa as levels of hunger soar after back-to-back droughts and the threat of famine looms. Since the start of the year, nine million more people have slipped into severe food insecurity across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, leaving 22 million people struggling to find enough food to eat
Food insecurity in Afghanistan is rising sharply, driven by the impact of the economic crisis, decades of conflict, and drought. Men, women, and children queuing for food assistance say that the misery of hunger, today, is even greater than the challenges they endured during the worst days of conflict.
Extreme weather and climate events heighten humanitarian needs in Madagascar and around the world warns Â鶹ÊÓƵ just days ahead of report launch by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing the driest conditions recorded since 1981, with severe drought leaving an estimated 13 million people across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia facing severe hunger in the first quarter of this year, the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) warned.
Bringing heavy rains, violent winds and storm surges, Intense Tropical Cyclone Batsirai made landfall on the central-eastern coast of Madagascar on Saturday. Storms during the agricultural season (that runs from October-April) have the potential to wipe out harvest, send food prices soaring and increase food insecurity.
As climate talks get underway in Glasgow, families in Southern Madagascar, where climate is driving famine-like conditions, brace themselves for yet another harsh year ahead as the ongoing drought shows no signs of abating, signaling deteriorating hunger.
The world faces an exponential increase in hunger fueled by the climate crisis if urgent global action to help communities adapt to climatic shocks and stresses is ignored, Â鶹ÊÓƵ warns ahead of World Food Day.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ is due to run out of food stocks of wheat flour as early as October and requires immediate upfront funds to support the millions of people depending on Â鶹ÊÓƵ to deliver food.
1 in 3 Afghans ¨C 14 million people ¨C are hungry today while 2 million children are malnourished. With drought, pandemic, and conflict, the food security situation will continue to worsen; and a great tide of hunger is soon arriving.
The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Executive Director, David Beasley, is urging the world to step-up and take action after bearing witness to the invisible crisis enveloping Southern Madagascar, where whole communities are teetering on the edge of starvation. Southern Madagascar is experiencing its worst drought in four decades with more than 1.14 million people food insecure. Of those, an estimated 14,000 people are already in catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5) and this will double to 28,000 by October. Â鶹ÊÓƵ has been working closely with the Malagasy government and other partners since late last year to address severe hunger. However, as the crisis deepens those efforts must be intensified. Last week Beasley met with the Prime Minister and senior officials to identify immediate and long-term solutions to this crisis.
The number of hungry people in Central America has nearly quadrupled over two years. Devastating hurricanes compounded economic shocks caused by COVID-19 leaving millions without an income and many planning to migrate.
Agricultural and coastal communities in the Dry Corridor have borne the brunt of a years-long climate emergency that was exacerbated by hurricanes Eta and Iota last year. They are struggling to meet even their most basic needs.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ calls on the international community to support its efforts in Central America to provide immediate assistance to hard-hit communities and build their resilience.
Hunger in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua has increased almost fourfold over the past two years - from 2.2 million people in 2018 to close to 8 million people in 2021 ¨C a result of the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 and years of extreme climate events. Of this figure, 1.7 million people are in the ¡®Emergency¡¯ category of food insecurity and require urgent food assistance.
South Sudan is facing the highest levels of food insecurity since the country declared independence ten years ago. A hunger crisis looms where 60 percent (7.24 million) of its population is increasingly hungry due to chronic sporadic violence, extreme weather patterns and the economic impact of COVID-19.
The future of South Sudan depends on real peace and stability. While the causes of hunger are many, the biggest driver is conflict leading to displacements and loss of livelihoods. Â鶹ÊÓƵ¡¯s food assistance and livelihoods programmes help to lay the foundation for peace by providing hope to the hungry and creating opportunities to pull people out of poverty.
Three consecutive years of drought coupled with a sharp recession triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic will leave a third of the population in Southern Madagascar struggling to put food on the table. With severe malnutrition rates continuing to spiral and many children forced to beg in order to help their families eat, urgent action is required to prevent a humanitarian crisis.
