The "2025 Global Food Crisis Report" released by UN agencies on the 16th indicates that in 2024, the number of people facing severe food insecurity and malnourished children globally will exceed 295 million, an increase of nearly 14 million compared to 2023. The number of people facing "catastrophic" hunger has reached an all-time high.
According to the report, the global number of people facing "catastrophic" hunger has surged to 1.9 million, the highest level on record. Sudan has been confirmed to be experiencing famine, with large populations in Gaza, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali also facing famine.
Additionally, in 2024, more than 38 million children under the age of five are in acute malnutrition, primarily concentrated in Gaza, Mali, Sudan, Yemen, and 26 other regions and countries experiencing nutritional crises.
The report indicates that regional conflicts, economic shocks, extreme climate, and forced displacement are the main factors contributing to food insecurity and malnutrition.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that this report once again shows that the world's development direction is severely off track.
He warned that the dramatic reduction in global humanitarian aid funding is not just a system failure but a failure of humanity. Hunger occurring in the 21st century is inexcusable.
FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu emphasized that acute food insecurity has become the norm for hundreds of millions of rural residents, and urgent agricultural intervention investment must be increased to achieve more cost-effective sustainable impacts.
The report calls for breaking the vicious cycle of the food crisis by comprehensively resetting the global response mechanism, focusing on outcome-oriented actions, and enhancing the resilience of affected communities. In addition to humanitarian aid, there should be an increase in investment in local agricultural systems and nutrition services.
The "Global Food Crisis Report" is published by the Global Network Against Food Crises, a collaborative platform of organizations such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the World Food Programme, dedicated to addressing the global food crisis.