The United Nations has listed Nigeria and Mali among 16 countries facing an escalating hunger crisis, warning that millions of people could slide into famine as global funding for food aid continues to shrink.
In a joint report released on Wednesday, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) said conflict, violence, and economic shocks were driving acute food insecurity across many regions, with funding shortfalls worsening the situation.
According to the Rome-based agencies, Haiti, Mali, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen are the worst affected — with populations facing “an imminent risk of catastrophic hunger.”
Other countries of “very high concern” include Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, and Syria. The list also covers Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, and Rohingya refugee communities in Bangladesh.
“We are on the brink of a completely preventable hunger catastrophe that threatens widespread starvation in multiple countries,” warned WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. She cautioned that failure to act urgently “will only drive further instability, migration, and conflict.”
The report noted that global humanitarian funding has fallen “dangerously short,” with just $10.5 billion received out of the $29 billion required to assist vulnerable populations.
As a result, WFP said it had been forced to scale back food assistance to refugees and displaced persons and suspend school feeding programmes in several countries.
FAO also warned that dwindling resources were undermining efforts to protect agricultural livelihoods, which it described as “essential for stabilising food production and preventing recurring crises.”
The agency stressed the need for immediate investment in seeds, fertilisers, and livestock health services “before planting seasons begin or new shocks occur.”
Both agencies called on the international community to act urgently to avert a famine that could engulf millions if left unchecked.
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