Over 282 million people faced acute hunger in 2023: UN report

According to the United Nations Global Report on Food Crises 2023, nearly 282 million people in 59 countries and territories suffered from acute hunger, an increase of 24 million compared to 2022. Three neighbouring countries, India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, are among the top ten countries facing acute hunger.

Definition of Acute Hunger 

The Global Report on Food Crises defines acute hunger as a person's inability to have adequate food, putting their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger. 

Acute hunger is different from chronic hunger. Chronic hunger occurs when a person is unable to consume enough food over an extended period to maintain a normal, active lifestyle.

About the Global Report on Food Crises

• The Global Report on Food Crises is an annual report produced by the Food Security Information Network for the Global Network Against Food Crises.
•  The first Global Report on Food Crises was published in 2016.
• The report provides a comprehensive picture of the scale and magnitude of food crises at the global, regional and national levels. 
• The Global Network Against Food Crises was set up in 2016 by the European Union, FAO, UNICEF, the United States of America, the World Food Programme, and the World Bank. 
• Its main aim was to improve analysis, evidence, and consensus on the prevalence and severity of food crises and the international response to prevent them.

Main Points of the 2023 Report 

• The number of people facing acute hunger in 2023 increased due to two factors. One was the increase in the coverage of areas facing food insecurity, and the second was the deterioration of food security in Gaza and Sudan.
• Over 705,000 people in five countries are in Phase 5, the highest level on a scale of hunger determined by international experts. This is the highest number since  2016.
• Over 80 per cent of the people facing level 5 hunger,577,000 people, were in Gaza. 
• African countries like South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Somalia, and Mali are also facing the danger of famine.
• The report predicts that 1.1 million people in Gaza and 79,000 people in South Sudan will likely face famine by July 2024.
• The report highlighted the fact that children and women are most vulnerable to acute hunger crises with over 36 million children under 5 years of age acutely malnourished in  32 countries.
• Thirty-six countries have consistently featured in the report since 2016, reflecting continuing years of acute hunger and currently representing 80 per cent of the world’s most hungry.

Reason for acute hunger 

The report has identified conflict and insecurity, impacts of economic shocks, and the effects of extreme weather events like El Nino as the major factors for the continuing acute food insecurity. 

Conflict - was the main reason for acute hunger, affecting 20 countries with nearly 135 million people. In Sudan, due to continuous conflict between the government and armed groups, more than 8.6 million more people in 2023 faced acute hunger as compared to 2022. 

Extreme weather events, such as extreme heat, severe floods, storms, drought, etc., caused acute hunger among 77 million people in 18 countries.

Economic shocks were the other major cause of acute hunger in 21 countries, affecting  75 million people. 

Hunger Map

Countries with the most number of people facing acute food security in the world.