The 2025 report from the Global Network Against Food Crises highlights a worrying surge in worldwide hunger, with over 295 million people now facing severe food insecurity—a rise of 14 million compared to last year. This sharp increase signals a worsening global emergency, fueled predominantly by ongoing conflicts, climate-induced calamities, and economic disruptions.

Compiled from data across 65 countries by multiple international agencies, the report shows that 53 nations are currently enduring critical levels of acute food insecurity. Aurélien Mellin from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Emergency Division told Vatican Radio that the crisis’s complexity is intensifying. “Since 2016, 35 countries have been caught in prolonged food emergencies requiring not only immediate relief but sustained, multi-faceted interventions, including agricultural support that has long been underfunded,” Mellin explained.

Where comprehensive aid programs have been effectively implemented, noticeable improvements in food security have followed. Mellin stressed, “Solutions exist, but it requires choosing the right strategies and dedicating adequate resources.”

Conflict remains the primary driver of hunger. Mellin pointed to countries like Sudan, ravaged by fighting that has caused famine-like conditions, and Haiti, where ongoing violence has created dire food shortages. Extreme weather events, frequently worsened by climate change, and economic shocks—including the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war—continue to exacerbate the crisis, especially in vulnerable and low-income regions.

Children bear the brunt of this hunger crisis, and Mellin raised alarms about shrinking humanitarian funds. “Countries like Yemen and Afghanistan, already among the worst affected, risk losing essential aid due to expected budget cuts,” he warned. Such funding shortfalls threaten to cripple life-saving programs and deepen hunger in fragile communities, where even small disruptions can have catastrophic effects.

The FAO and its partners call for a strengthened, coordinated global response that balances urgent relief with long-term development. “This crisis is not without remedy,” Mellin emphasized. “Progress has been made when aid combines food assistance with agricultural development, stability efforts, and continuous investment. It’s time to scale up and act decisively.”