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Action Against Hunger’s 10 global hunger hot spots 2026 - With Data, Stories, and Humanitarian Responses from 2025
New Report Identifies Nigeria, Sudan, and DRC Among World's Most Critical Hunger Emergencies as Humanitarian Funding Crisis Deepens
New York, NY, January 21, 2026 - Action Against Hunger today released its 2026 Global Hunger Hotspots report, revealing that two out of three people suffering from acute food insecurity worldwide live in just 10 countries, with over 196 million people facing crisis, emergency, or catastrophic hunger conditions.
The report, which integrates data from the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI 2025) and the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC 2025), identifies the 10 most critical hunger hotspots to watch in 2026: Nigeria (31.8 million people in acute food insecurity), Sudan (25.6 million), Democratic Republic of Congo (25.6 million), Bangladesh (23.6 million), Ethiopia (22 million), Yemen (16.7 million), Afghanistan (15.8 million), Myanmar (14.4 million), Pakistan (11.8 million), and Syria (9.2 million).
The analysis also highlights three particularly critical contexts where hunger affects 50-100% of the population: Gaza Strip (94% of the population), South Sudan (56%), and Haiti (56%).
A Perfect Storm of Crises
The report reveals that approximately 673 million people globally suffered from chronic hunger in 2024 (the latest data available), while 295 million people faced acute food insecurity across 59 countries and territories - the highest figure since the GRFC was first published in 2016.
"What we're witnessing is an unprecedented convergence of crises," said Charles Owubah, CEO of Action Against Hunger. "Armed conflict, climate disasters, economic collapse, and now devastating cuts to humanitarian funding are creating a perfect storm that threatens to push millions more people into famine. The international community must act now to prevent a catastrophe of historic proportions."
Children Bear the Heaviest Burden
The report documents that nearly 30 million children across the 13 analyzed contexts suffer from acute malnutrition, with approximately 8.5 million severely malnourished and at elevated risk of death without timely treatment. At least 13 million pregnant or breastfeeding women are also malnourished, with consequences likely to be passed on to their children.
In Gaza, famine was officially declared in August 2025, with projections indicating that 641,000 people - one-third of the population - will face catastrophic hunger conditions. In Sudan, famine persists in multiple regions, affecting over 638,000 people, while the country hosts the world's highest number of internally displaced persons at 10 million.
Funding Crisis Compounds Emergency
The humanitarian response is being severely hampered by a global funding crisis. Action Against Hunger's 2024 "Hunger Funding Gap" report documented a 65% shortfall in funding for hunger-related programs. Since then, the United States announced an 83% cut to humanitarian programs worldwide, followed by significant cuts from Germany, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
"These funding cuts are not just numbers on a spreadsheet - they represent children who will die from preventable malnutrition, families who will be forced to skip meals, and communities pushed beyond their breaking point," said Michelle Brown, Associate Director of Advocacy for Action Against Hunger.
A study published in The Lancet showed that USAID-funded programs saved over 90 million lives in the last 20 years. Maintaining these cuts until 2030 could cause 14 million preventable deaths, including 4.5 million children under five.
"We need urgent action from donors to reverse these catastrophic decisions and uphold their commitment to saving lives," said Brown.
Urgent Recommendations
Action Against Hunger calls for immediate action to:
Ensure full and safe humanitarian access, upholding UN Security Council Resolution 2417, which prohibits the use of starvation as a weapon of war
Integrate climate adaptation into all food security and agricultural national budgets, plans and policies
Focus on women and children, particularly the critical first 1,000 days
Provide adequate, flexible, and multi-sectoral funding for humanitarian response
Support local and community-led solutions
Prevent hunger and undernutrition through ensuring access to nutrition, food security, and basic health services
Uphold adequate nutrition as a fundamental human right
About the Report
The 2026 Global Hunger Hotspots report is based on internationally recognized data sources, including IPC/CH (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification/Cadre Harmonise) analyses, and incorporates first-hand testimonies and insights from Action Against Hunger's programs in affected countries. The report provides detailed country profiles, analysis of underlying factors, and documentation of humanitarian responses.
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Action Against Hunger is a global leader creating a future where every life is well nourished. We innovate to prevent malnutrition and respond to hunger hotspots, working in 59 countries and reaching more than 21 million people each year. With 8,990 staff members worldwide - 95% hired locally - we ensure culturally relevant solutions and empower communities with long-term resilience. For 18 consecutive years, we've earned top ratings from charity evaluators - a distinction achieved by fewer than 1% of nonprofits. Together, we are promoting resilience and working to end hunger for everyone, for good.
