NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2026 / Acute hunger has doubled over the last ten years and now affects 266 million people across 47 countries and territories, according to a new report from Action Against Hunger. Released ahead of World Food Day (October 16), "The 10 Largest Global Food Crises" finds that hunger is increasingly concentrated in a small number of countries, while funding to respond is shrinking and relief is getting harder to deliver.
The report draws on data from the 2026 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), the FAO-WFP Hunger Hotspots reports, and the experience of Action Against Hunger teams in more than 50 countries. It finds that just three countries account for roughly one-third of people facing acute hunger globally, with 82.9 million people in a hunger crisis across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nigeria, and Sudan.
About two-thirds of people facing acute hunger, 177 million, live in just 10 countries: Nigeria, the DRC, Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Sudan, and Syria. South Sudan entered the top 10 for the first time, with more than half its population facing severe food insecurity.
Conflict remains one of the biggest drivers of hunger. The sharpest increases were in Myanmar, the DRC, Afghanistan, and Yemen, where fighting and displacement have cut families off from their land, jobs, and markets. In 2025, famine was also confirmed in parts of Gaza and Sudan, the first time two famines were confirmed in the same year since the GRFC began in 2017.
At the same time, humanitarian aid for food in crisis contexts fell 59% between 2022 and 2025, back to levels last seen in 2016 and 2017. Official development assistance dropped 23% in 2025, and a further decline is expected in 2026.
"When funding is cut, the impact on vulnerable people is immediate. Funding decides where our teams can work, how many children we can treat, and which communities we have to leave behind," said Dr. Charles Owubah, CEO of Action Against Hunger. "Action Against Hunger has been innovating more efficient ways to collect data and to predict hunger hotspots. By responding early, we can prevent acute hunger and save countless lives. Now, we need donors to stay the course."
Children are among the hardest hit. In the 10 countries, nearly 30 million children under five suffered from acute malnutrition in 2025, including 7.82 million with the most severe form, which can be deadly. Unsafe water and disease are making things worse. In Sudan, more than 60% of water treatment plants are out of service, and the DRC is facing its worst cholera epidemic in 25 years.
Reaching people is also getting harder. Insecurity, red tape, and funding cuts are blocking or delaying aid in many of these countries. In South Sudan, loss of funding forced Action Against Hunger to reduce its staff by more than 60%, and many women and children now walk four to eight hours to reach health and nutrition services.
Action Against Hunger is calling on governments and donors to protect civilians and aid workers, close the funding gap with flexible, multi-year funding, and invest in prevention by strengthening local food systems, climate adaptation, and early warning systems.
"Hunger on this scale is not inevitable," said Owubah. "When nutrition, healthcare, clean water, and livelihoods are tackled together, communities are better able to withstand shocks and recover from them. We know what works."
Some countries could not be included in this year's analysis because of gaps in data. Aid cuts have also weakened the systems used to collect hunger data, making it harder to track crises and send resources where they are needed most.
About Action Against Hunger
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 more than 50 countries and reaching more than 21 million people each year. Together, we are promoting resilience and working to end hunger for everyone, for good.
For press inquiries: media@actionagainsthunger.org
Riku Sana, a community group leader, on an earthen embankment in Satkhira, Bangladesh. Bangladesh ranks seventh among the world's largest food crises, with 16 million people facing acute hunger. Coastal communities like hers remain highly exposed to climate disasters. © Fabeha Monir for Action Against Hunger
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SOURCE: Action Against Hunger
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/acute-hunger-has-doubled-worldwide-in-last-decade-as-aid-falls-n-1237165
