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African countries Sudan, South Sudan and Mali are among five global hunger hotspots of highest concern, warned a new joint United Nations report.
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) issued the Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP early warning on acute food insecurity — June to October 2025 outlook report on June 16, 2025. The report identified conflict, economic shocks and climate-related hazards as the primary causes of starvation risks in Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali.
The analysis of current data in the report highlighted that people in these critical areas will encounter extreme food shortages and a heightened risk of hunger and mortality unless urgent humanitarian aid is provided.
In Sudan, famine was declared in 2024, and the situation is expected to continue because of conflict and ongoing displacement. Approximately 24.6 million individuals were anticipated to experience Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or higher) levels of severe food insecurity, with 637,000 people facing Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) until May 2025.
Around 7.7 million individuals, accounting for 57 per cent of South Sudan's population, may experience severe food shortages (IPC Phase 3 or higher) from April to July 2025 due to flooding, political instability, and economic difficulties, with 63,000 facing conditions similar to famine.
According to the report, around 2,600 individuals in Mali could face starvation between June and August 2025 due to ongoing conflict and elevated grain prices, unless timely aid is delivered. In Palestine, Israel's ongoing military actions and the blockade of Gaza have resulted in severe food shortages for the entire population of 2.1 million, with nearly 500,000 people at risk of famine by the end of September.
In Haiti, escalating gang violence has displaced thousands, with 8,400 already facing catastrophic hunger.
The report forecasted a significant worsening of severe food insecurity in 13 nations and regions, identified as the most urgent hunger hotspots globally in the upcoming months. Armed conflict continues to be the main cause of severe food insecurity in 12 of these 13 hotspots.
The report highlighted Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and Nigeria as areas of significant concern. Additional hotspots include Burkina Faso, Chad, Somalia, and Syria. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been added back to the list due to escalating conflict.
Armed clashes in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are anticipated to cause widespread displacement and further exacerbate food insecurity. In Nigeria, unfavourable weather conditions are predicted throughout much of the country in 2025, potentially worsening food security when coupled with increasing violence.
Conversely, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are no longer on the Hunger Hotspots list. Improved climatic conditions in East and Southern Africa, along with Niger, have lessened food security concerns due to better harvests and fewer extreme weather events. Lebanon has been removed from the list because of a decrease in military operations. Nonetheless, the FAO and WFP caution that these improvements are precarious and may quickly be undone if new disruptions occur.
The countries and territories selected for inclusion as hunger hotspots in this report are those assessed as facing a potential deterioration in acute food insecurity during the outlook period.
“Protecting people’s farms and animals to ensure they can keep producing food where they are, even in the toughest and harshest conditions, is not just urgent — it is essential,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu.
The Hunger Hotspots report outlines country-specific recommendations for urgent emergency responses, as well as anticipatory actions to meet existing humanitarian needs and implement short-term protective interventions before new crises emerge.
