UN Report: Conflict and Climate Change Pushing Hundreds of Millions in Africa into Hunger

The 2024 Global Report on Food Crisis has revealed a disturbing trend of increasing hunger worldwide, with conflict, climate change, and economic shocks pushing more people into acute food insecurity. Published on Wednesday, the report highlights that 281.6 million people in 59 food-crisis countries and territories faced high levels of acute insecurity in 2023, jeopardizing the progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030.

In particular, the situation in Gaza has become dire, with the Gaza Strip experiencing the severest food crisis in its history. Gian Carlo Cirri, the World Food Program director in Geneva, expressed deep concern over the escalating malnutrition among children and the looming threat of famine in the region.

Similarly, Sudan is also facing a hunger crisis, with approximately 18 million people in acute food insecurity and 5 million on the brink of famine. Dominique Burgeon of the Food and Agriculture Organization emphasized the urgent need for action to prevent further deterioration of the food security situation in the country.

Children worldwide are also at risk, with millions under the age of 5 in crisis-affected countries suffering from acute malnutrition. Stefano Fedele, global nutrition cluster coordinator at UNICEF Geneva, highlighted the long-term consequences of malnutrition on children’s cognitive and developmental potential.

As the international community grapples with these alarming findings, calls for immediate action to address the root causes of hunger and provide essential support to vulnerable populations have intensified. The need for coordinated efforts to avert a humanitarian catastrophe and ensure food security for all has never been more urgent.