By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
UN Warns Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, and Other African Nations Among Global Hunger Hotspots
The United Nations has issued a stark warning that food insecurity is worsening across several African nations, including Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, placing millions at risk of famine between November 2025 and May 2026.
This was revealed in a joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), titled “Hunger Hotspots: FAO/WFP Early Warnings on Acute Food Insecurity.”
According to the report, conflict, economic instability, and extreme weather are driving hunger across multiple regions.
It named Afghanistan, the DRC, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, and Syria as areas of very high concern, while Haiti, Mali, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen are said to face imminent risk of catastrophic hunger, categorised under the highest alert level (IPC/CH Phase 5).
The report also highlighted Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, and the Rohingya refugee situation in Bangladesh as additional high-risk areas that need urgent international intervention.
As of October 2025, only $10.5 billion of the $29 billion required for emergency food and nutrition programmes had been secured, forcing aid agencies to make severe ration cuts and suspend vital operations such as school feeding and nutrition support.
FAO cautioned that without immediate funding, critical agricultural support, including seed distribution, livestock care, and early farming initiatives, may not reach affected communities in time for the next planting season.
FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu urged global leaders to act before conditions worsen.
“We must move from reacting to crises to preventing them. Investing in resilience and social protection before hunger peaks saves lives and resources,” he said.
WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain warned that the situation is dire:
“Mothers are skipping meals to feed their children. Families are exhausting what little they have left. Without urgent funding and unrestricted access, millions will starve,” she said.
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