Where do people need food most? A global overview of hunger hotspots

January 2, 2026 •

4 min read

In 2024, nearly 2.3 billion people faced moderate or severe food insecurity, a figure that remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. Understanding where do people need food is essential for mobilizing effective aid and addressing the complex, interconnected drivers of global hunger and malnutrition.

Quick Summary

This article identifies the global regions facing the most acute food insecurity, detailing the underlying causes such as conflict, climate change, and economic instability.

Key Points

Global Hotspots: Severe food insecurity is concentrated in regions like Sudan, Gaza, South Sudan, and Haiti, driven largely by conflict, economic shocks, and climate extremes.
Key Drivers: The root causes of hunger are primarily conflict, adverse climate change, economic instability, and population displacement, often reinforcing one another to create complex crises.
Urban vs. Rural: Food insecurity affects both urban areas, where 'food deserts' limit access to fresh, affordable food, and rural areas, where environmental shocks directly impact production and livelihoods.
Economic Impact: High inflation and poverty significantly erode purchasing power, making nutritious food unaffordable for millions, especially in low-income countries.
Multifaceted Crisis: Addressing global hunger requires a multi-sectoral approach involving emergency aid, sustainable agricultural practices, climate resilience-building, and peace-building efforts.
Progress and Setbacks: While some progress has been made, particularly in Asia and Latin America, hunger is rising in Africa and Western Asia, highlighting uneven recovery and persistent challenges.

Global Hunger Hotspots: Conflict and Climate Driven Crises

While hunger is a global issue, its severity is concentrated in specific regions, often referred to as hunger hotspots. The latest data reveals that certain parts of the world are experiencing catastrophic or emergency levels of acute food insecurity. Conflict, economic shocks, and climate extremes are the primary forces driving these emergencies, and their impact is felt most acutely in vulnerable nations.

Based on reports from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), key hunger hotspots include:

Sudan: Conflict, economic collapse, and inflation have created a severe food crisis, with famine confirmed in multiple areas and over 26 million people facing extreme hunger.
Palestine (Gaza Strip): Military operations and a blockade severely restrict aid access, leading to a catastrophic food situation and high prices.
Haiti: Escalating violence and an economic crisis have led to catastrophic hunger levels, particularly among displaced populations. Aid access is limited, and high food prices reduce purchasing power.
South Sudan: Civil war, flooding, and economic instability contribute to a hunger crisis affecting nearly two-thirds of the population, exacerbated by high food prices.
Yemen: Ongoing conflict, economic challenges, and high food prices continue to cause severe hunger for millions.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Persistent conflict, displacement, and poverty result in the world's largest hunger crisis by the number of people affected.
Sahel Region: This zone, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Chad, and Niger, faces significant hunger due to armed conflict and climate extremes.

The Primary Drivers of Food Insecurity

Food insecurity typically results from overlapping factors that prevent people from accessing food.

Conflict and Displacement

Armed conflict is the leading cause of acute hunger. It disrupts farming, destroys infrastructure, and blocks aid. Displacement due to conflict also leads to lost livelihoods and income. The link between conflict and hunger was highlighted by the WFP's 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.

Climate Change and Extreme Weather

Climate change increases extreme weather events like droughts and floods, which devastate agriculture. Regions relying on rain-fed farming are particularly vulnerable to unpredictable weather. These events destroy crops, kill livestock, and destabilize food supplies. Rising sea levels also threaten coastal farmland.

Economic Shocks and Instability

Economic factors, such as high food prices, currency fluctuations, and slow global growth, impact who can afford food, especially in low-income countries. Poor households spend a large portion of their income on food and are vulnerable to price shocks. Economic crises also limit investment in social safety nets. Inflation from global events further stresses households.

A Spectrum of Need: Urban vs. Rural Challenges

Food insecurity is a growing issue in both urban and rural areas, with distinct challenges. Urban areas face infrastructure and cost issues, while rural areas deal with environmental and production risks.

A Comparison of Urban and Rural Food Security Challenges


Aspect	Urban Areas	Rural Areas
Primary Challenge	High cost of living, low purchasing power, and physical access issues create 'food deserts'.	Dependence on climate-sensitive agriculture, lack of infrastructure, and market access issues.
Access to Food	Limited availability of fresh, affordable produce due to lack of nearby grocery stores; reliance on fast-food and convenience stores.	Food production is often a primary source, but environmental shocks (droughts, floods) can lead to total crop failure.
Cost of Food	High food prices due to longer, more complex supply chains and lack of local production.	High prices can occur due to local production failures, poor road infrastructure, or market isolation.
Infrastructure	Poor infrastructure can disrupt food supply chains, leading to higher costs and fewer options.	Lack of infrastructure (roads, storage, electricity) limits access to larger markets, increasing post-harvest losses.

How Organizations Are Responding

Numerous organizations work to address global food insecurity through emergency aid and long-term solutions.

Key players include:

The World Food Programme (WFP): Provides emergency food assistance and works to build resilience. Programs include food distribution, school feeding, and cash transfers.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): Leads efforts to transform agrifood systems for sustainability and resilience. Provides technical assistance and promotes sustainable farming.
The World Bank: Offers funding and data to inform responses to food crises. Focuses on climate-smart agriculture and reducing food waste.
Action Against Hunger and World Vision: NGOs that provide aid and implement resilience projects in vulnerable communities.

Conclusion: The Road to Zero Hunger

The challenge of understanding "where do people need food" involves recognizing the systemic issues of conflict, climate change, and economic instability. While global hunger has stalled, solutions exist, focusing on equitable access and resilient systems. Organizations like the WFP and FAO, combined with national policies, demonstrate that targeted action can reduce suffering and work towards the goal of Zero Hunger. Sustained collective action and investment are crucial for lasting stability.

Learn more about the global hunger crisis from the World Food Programme.

Frequently Asked Questions

Globally, food insecurity is primarily caused by a combination of interconnected factors, including armed conflict, extreme weather events driven by climate change, and economic shocks like high inflation. These issues disrupt food production, limit access, and deplete livelihoods.

According to reports, the most severe hunger hotspots include Sudan, Palestine (Gaza), South Sudan, Haiti, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Sahel region and parts of Afghanistan also face significant food crises.

A 'food desert' is an area, either urban or rural, where residents have limited access to affordable, fresh, and nutritious food. These areas often have few supermarkets and an abundance of convenience stores and fast-food options, which can lead to poor diet and negative health outcomes.

Climate change impacts food availability through more frequent extreme weather, such as droughts and floods, which destroy crops and agricultural land. It also causes long-term changes like soil degradation, rising temperatures that reduce crop yields, and changes in rainfall patterns that affect water resources.

In 2024, nearly 2.3 billion people faced moderate or severe food insecurity, representing about 28% of the global population. This number has increased significantly since 2019.

Extreme poverty is inextricably linked with food insecurity because it limits a household's ability to purchase or produce enough food. Low incomes and economic shocks, like currency devaluation and high food prices, mean that the poor cannot afford nutritious diets, even when food is available.

Several organizations are at the forefront of the fight against global hunger, including the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Bank, and numerous NGOs like Action Against Hunger and World Vision.