UN warns some 16 countries at risk of widespread starvation

The UN's latest Hunger Hotspots report forecasts a worsening food security crisis in 16 countries, with six facing the imminent threat of famine by mid-2026.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have issued a stark warning in their Hunger Hotspots 2025 report, predicting that acute food insecurity will escalate across 16 countries and territories between November 2025 and May 2026, Caliber.Az reports. 

Six countries—Sudan, Palestine (Gaza Strip and West Bank), South Sudan, Yemen, Mali, and Haiti—are classified as being at "highest concern," with millions facing the risk of famine. 

Conflict, economic collapse, climate extremes, and a dramatic reduction in humanitarian aid are driving the crisis, particularly in Sudan, where ongoing violence has left more than 24 million people in need of urgent food assistance. In Gaza, famine conditions have already been confirmed, affecting hundreds of thousands, with the risk of further spread.

Other countries facing severe food insecurity include Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, and Syria, where conflict and economic instability have left millions struggling to survive. At the same time, rising inflation, high unemployment, and climate-induced disasters are worsening the crisis in many regions.

The report also underscores the severe lack of international funding for humanitarian efforts, with only 36% of the necessary funds raised, leading to food ration cuts and a suspension of key programs.

“Famines are never inevitable – they are almost always foreseeable, preventable, and driven by human actions. Famine is considered a failure of the humanitarian system," the report reads. 

By Sabina Mammadli