Acute food insecurity could deepen across 13 countries and territories over the outlook period of June to November 2026, a report has said.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) disclosed this in a joint report titled “FAO–WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity June to November 2026 outlook” released on Wednesday.
The report identifies Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, Palestine, Nigeria and Somalia as being at the highest concern level, necessitating the most urgent attention, where populations already face or risk entering Catastrophe (IPC/CH Phase 5) conditions.
According to the Global Network Against Food Crises, an international alliance of the United Nations, acute food insecurity is “when a person’s inability to consume adequate food puts their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger.” If unaddressed, acute food insecurity leads to starvation.
FAO and WFP said armed conflict and violence remain the primary drivers of acute food insecurity, affecting 12 of the 13 hotspots.
“These pressures are compounded by economic shocks, severe funding shortfalls and growing risks linked to a forecast El Niño event, which is expected to bring uneven rainfall, droughts, and flooding across countries with already high vulnerability,” the report said.
The warning comes at a time of unprecedented funding shortfalls for humanitarian response.
According to the report, funding for food assistance, emergency agricultural assistance and nutrition in food crises has declined by an estimated 59 per cent between 2022 and 2025, returning to levels last seen nearly a decade ago.
At the same time, it said the number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity in these countries has risen to around 266 million.
The report also warned that additional shocks are worsening the outlook for millions.
This, it said, is due to recent events, including the ripple effects of the conflict in the Middle East and the Ebola outbreak in parts of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). These added shocks risk further disrupting livelihoods, markets and humanitarian access.
“We already know where the next hunger emergencies will occur. The challenge is whether we act early enough and at the necessary scale. When farmers cannot plant, herders lose their animals and markets are disrupted; food insecurity deepens quickly.
“Early investment in emergency agricultural assistance and resilience is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect livelihoods, sustain local food production and reduce future humanitarian needs,” FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol said.
WFP Acting Executive Director Carl Skau said: “The warnings in this report cannot be ignored. Conflict, shocks, and disasters are forcing families to make impossible decisions about who gets to eat and who goes to bed hungry.
“Without action now, millions more are expected to face worsening levels of hunger in the months ahead, pushing some closer to famine. Our teams are ready to respond at speed and scale. We need resources to deliver food and access to reach people before hunger turns into a catastrophe.”
Hotspots of highest concern
In Sudan, the report shows a risk of famine has been identified in 14 areas across North Darfur, South Darfur and South Kordofan through September 2026. It is expected to persist in 13 areas through the harvest period into January 2027.
It said an estimated 19.5 million people 41 per cent of the population faced high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) through May 2026, including 5 million in Emergency (IPC Phase 4).
The situation, according to the report, is expected to worsen further, with the number of people in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) projected to rise to 200,000 across 15 areas in June–September 2026, up from 135,000 in February–May 2026.
In South Sudan, the report said 7.8 million people, 55 per cent of the population, are projected to face crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) between April and July 2026, including 2.5 million people in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and approximately 73,000 people facing Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5).
In Yemen, the report said acute food insecurity is expected to remain among the most severe globally in 2026. “In earlier estimates, 18.3 million people were projected to face crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above) levels of acute food insecurity, representing over half the population,” it said.
The report said Nigeria has also moved into the highest-concern group, where around 34.8 million people are projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity (Cadre Harmonisé Phase 3 or above) during June–August 2026, including 1.8 million in Emergency (CH Phase 4) and some 15,000 in Catastrophe (CH Phase 5) in Borno State.
In Palestine, it said conditions in the Gaza Strip have improved since the October 2025 ceasefire but remain fragile.
It noted that the entire territory faced a risk of famine through mid-April 2026, with 1.6 million people acutely food insecure and requiring urgent assistance (77 per cent of the population analysed), including over half a million people in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and 1900 people projected to face Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5).
“No projection was available covering the Hunger Hotspots outlook period of June to November 2026 at the time of the report’s drafting,” it said.
In Somalia, the report said around 6 million people were projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity between April and June 2026, including nearly 1.9 million projected to face Emergency (IPC Phase 4) levels.
“There is also now a risk of famine identified in Burhakaba District. This reflects the broader deterioration in acute food insecurity conditions in the country, stemming from multiple years of drought, record-low crop production, conflict and the ripple effects of the Middle East conflict,” it added.
Hotspots of very high concern
The report said Afghanistan remains a hotspot of very high concern, facing consecutive droughts, high food prices, and escalating conflict.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it said acute food insecurity remains severe, driven by conflict in eastern provinces and large-scale displacement, noting that the resurgence of Ebola is adding a dangerous new layer of risk, threatening to worsen acute hunger by disrupting markets, mobility and humanitarian operations.
It said Haiti, previously among hotspots of highest concern, has moved into the very high concern category, reflecting limited and localised improvements, including slowing inflation and better access along some road corridors, though conditions remain very fragile.
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Other hotspots
Myanmar and Mali are identified as hotspots, where conditions are expected to deteriorate as conflict, economic pressures and climate variability compound vulnerability.
Lebanon and Madagascar have been added to the list of hotspots as a result of the escalation of hostilities in late February 2026 and adverse and erratic weather conditions, respectively, the report said.
Overall, the report pointed to a worsening outlook for millions of people in the second half of 2026, with unprecedented levels of catastrophic hunger persisting or threatening multiple contexts.
What needs to be done
FAO and WFP called for urgent, coordinated action to scale up humanitarian assistance, ensure safe access, invest in livelihoods and strengthen resilience.
The report underscores that early action saves lives, protects livelihoods and is significantly more cost-effective than responding after crises have escalated.
“Without stronger political commitment, predictable financing and collective action, hunger crises are likely to deepen across the world’s most vulnerable regions in the months ahead,” it said.
