Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali face immediate risk as extreme hunger rises in 13 locations.
Published On 16 Jun 2025
Extreme hunger will intensify in 13 global hotspots over the coming months, with five states facing the immediate risk of starvation, according to a United Nations report.
The report, Hunger Hotspots, released on Monday by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP), blamed conflict, economic shocks, and climate-related hazards for the threat of starvation in Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali.
The report, which predicts food crises in the next five months, calls for investment and help to ensure aid delivery, which it said was being undermined by insecurity and funding gaps.
The people living in the five worst-hit countries face “extreme hunger and risk of starvation and death in the coming months unless there is urgent humanitarian action”, warned the UN agencies.
“This report is a red alert. We know where hunger is rising and we know who is at risk,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. “Without funding and access, we cannot save lives.”
For famine to be declared, at least 20 percent of the population in an area must be suffering extreme food shortages, with 30 percent of children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or malnutrition and disease.
In Sudan, where famine was confirmed in 2024, the