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Malawi continues to face a looming food crisis, according to the latest alerts from IPC and FEWS Net.  

After 14 months of escalating internal conflict, Sudan is now confronting its most severe food security crisis on record. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, released June 27, reveals a grim picture: More than half the population is facing acute food insecurity, with a high risk of famine in multiple regions if immediate action is not taken.

On January 12, 2024, trade between Rwanda and Burundi came to a halt when the border crossing was unexpectedly closed. Food prices in Rwanda may have been expected to fluctuate more than normal as a result—both falling prices for commodities typically exported to Burundi that instead began flooding local markets and rising prices for commodities typically imported from Burundi that faced suddenly limited local supply.

Malnutrition—including undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight, obesity, and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs)—poses a staggering challenge to health, food security, and economic growth outcomes around the world. In Ghana, an estimated 256.1 million people experienced hunger and 240 million were undernourished in 2018. At the same time, rates of obesity and diet-related NCDs in the country have risen significantly—from just 10 percent of Ghanaian adults in 1993 to 40 percent in 2015.

The United Nations recently warned of the risk of famine in Sudan. The war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has killed civilians and devastated livelihoods on a massive scale. Around 18 million people are already acutely hungry, including 3.6 million children who are acutely malnourished.

IFPRI Research Fellow Oliver Kiptoo Kirui, who co-authored the recent IFPRI-UNDP Sudan National Household Survey report—conducted in the midst of war—provides insights on the scale of the country’s food emergency.