The 2026 Global Report on Food Crises warns that conflict, drought, and shrinking aid will keep global hunger at critical levels in 2026, with some fragile countries experiencing worsening food insecurity.

Two-thirds of those facing acute hunger live in ten countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, South Sudan, and Syria.

About 266 million people in 47 countries experienced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025, nearly doubling the level seen in 2016.

Alvaro Lario of the International Fund for Agricultural Development urges more support for smallholders, including locally produced fertilizers and investment in heat-resistant crops.

Despite using innovations like AI for supply chain optimization and early warning systems, experts warn that technology alone cannot solve the crisis without stronger conflict resolution and sustained funding.

Analysts and leaders urge increased political will and scaled-up investment in lifesaving aid to break cycles of hunger, warning that aid declines threaten effective crisis response.

Aid organizations criticize declining funding for humanitarian efforts and call for reliable commitments and decisive political action to prevent further hunger catastrophes.

UN food agency chief warns that shocks, including energy and fertilizer price increases, will impact global production as planting season begins.

A UN-endorsed report warns that aid funding is falling sharply and that conflict in the Middle East could worsen hunger by displacing people and raising fertilizer costs.

The report notes a sharp drop in humanitarian funding and links the Middle East war to higher displacement and fertilizer prices, partly due to oil-input costs affected by regional tensions.

Operational costs are rising in hard-to-reach areas; air deliveries in South Sudan can cost up to 70 times more than land transport, constraining response efficiency.

In East Africa, drought and failed rains threaten Somalia and Kenya, with high food prices and reduced humanitarian aid deepening hunger.