PARIS: More than 295 million people faced acute hunger last year, a new high driven by conflict along with other crises — and the outlook is “bleak” for 2025 as humanitarian aid falters, a UN-backed report said on Friday.

It was the sixth consecutive annual increase in the number of people hit with “high levels” of acute food insecurity, according to the Global Report on Food Crises.

A total of 295.3 million people endured acute hunger last year — almost a quarter of the population in 53 of the 65 countries analysed for the report.

This was up from 281.6 million people in 2023, according to the report, which is drafted by a consortium of international organisations and NGOs.

The number of people facing famine reached 1.9 million, more than double from the previous year, according to the report.

A food security monitor warned on Monday that Gaza was at a “critical risk of famine” after more than two months of an Israeli aid blockade.

“From Gaza and Sudan, to Yemen and Mali, catastrophic hunger driven by conflict and other factors is hitting record highs, pushing households to the edge of starvation,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the report.

“The message is stark. Hunger and malnutrition are spreading faster than our ability to respond, yet globally, a third of all food produced is lost or wasted,” he said.

Conflict and violence were the primary drivers in 20 countries and territories, where 140 million people faced acute hunger, the report found.

Extreme weather was to blame in 18 countries and “economic shocks” in 15 nations, together affecting a total of 155 million people. The deteriorating situations in Gaza, Myanmar and Sudan outweighed improvements in Afghanistan and Kenya.

The report warned that the outlook was “bleak” for 2025 as major donor countries have substantially reduced humanitarian funding. “This is more than a failure of systems — it is a failure of humanity,” Guterres said.

“Hunger in the 21st century is indefensible. We cannot respond to empty stomachs with empty hands and turned backs,” he said.

The “abrupt termination” of funding in 2025 has disrupted humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen, the report said.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2025