What's New

Over the past 10 years, food and nutrition crises have shifted from one-off emergencies to protracted conditions in many regions around the world, according to the 2026 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) released today. Since 2016, the global share of people facing acute food insecurity has nearly doubled. In 2025, 266 million people across 47 countries/territories experienced acute food insecurity; what’s more, 33 of those countries have appeared in every GRFC edition released since the report’s inception in 2016.

Countries in West and Central Africa are facing a food crisis with multiple causes. Estimates in late December 2025 suggested that 41.8 million people were already in crisis or worse in October-December 2025. The number was expected to rise to 52.8 million in June-August 2026.

In Malawi, the food system remains stubbornly centered on maize, dominating both production and consumption despite clear policy ambitions for greater crop and diet diversity. While nutritionists and agronomists warn of its limited nutritional value and its vulnerability to climate change, average consumption remains high at 2.8 kg per person per week. This dependence on a single staple leaves the nation’s food security at constant risk of harvest failure.

Military and paramilitary groups exert substantial influence globally, serving as the primary power base for regimes in forty-two different nations.

Key takeawaysA state-sponsored school meal program is boosting enrollment and attendance in Zamfara, giving children a strong incentive to come to school.School meals support communities, creating income for local women and strengthening local food systemsScaling the program will require better infrastructure, monitoring, and consistent funding to reach more children—especially the hardest-to-reach. On a recent morning in Zamfara State in northwestern Nigeria, children lined up patiently at Danturai Primary School, bowls in hand. For many of them, this was more than just a meal.