Global hunger has reached a new high with nearly 300 million people around the world at risk of starvation, according to the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) published today.
More than 294 million people in 53 countries or territories experienced acute food insecurity last year. This staggering figure is twice as high as 2020, and marks the sixth consecutive annual increase in global hunger trends.
Even more shockingly, there were more people experiencing famine-like conditions in 2024 than in the previous seven years combined. Of these, nearly all (95 per cent) are living in Sudan and Gaza, where food is spoiling as communities starve, humanitarian aid is being blocked, and mass displacement stemming from violent conflict has forced millions of families to lose access to livelihoods.
In Sudan, caregivers of children with malnutrition wait to receive nutrition services at a Trocaire supported Nutrition clinic in Nuba Mountains. (Photo: Trocaire)
Sudan has confirmed famine conditions – the first place in the world to declare an official famine since 2020, and yet, governments are choosing this moment to pull back on vital resources for humanitarian aid in places where it is desperately needed.
Canadian Foodgrains Bank executive director Andy Harrington says the international community is not facing a lack of resources, but the resolve to do something about these horrific crises.
“The sad and distressing fact is that so much of this hunger is completely preventable. Conflicts are upending lives, destroying livelihoods, and creating hunger for tens of millions of people. If we want to begin reversing these trends, we need to be serious about working for and achieving peace.
“Globally, we’re seeing some western governments walking away from people experiencing extreme hunger through aid cuts. But this is not the time for us to turn our backs. If we do, people will die. Canada can continue its global leadership, stepping up to provide a caring, compassionate, and impactful values-based response to this global catastrophe.”
While ongoing conflict remains the primary driver of hunger globally, crises are being compounded by other factors including climate changes and disasters, economic instability, and food system breakdowns.
“It is a tragedy that for nearly 300 million people on our planet, extreme hunger is a reality through no fault of their own,” says Foodgrains Bank senior humanitarian manager Stefan Epp-Koop, who travelled with Harrington to South Sudan in March to witness the devastation of the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
“Foodgrains Bank members and their partners continue to provide essential assistance that saves lives and alleviates suffering for people experiencing extreme hunger. In just the last few weeks, new programming has been approved in countries from Haiti to Myanmar to Syria. This work is more important than ever and will continue to have a meaningful impact around the world.”
In the 2023-24 budget year, the Foodgrains Bank provided $68.3 million of assistance for 974,683 people in 35 countries. This included food assistance funding for 333,922 people experiencing humanitarian emergencies in 16 countries.
