Global Report on Food Crises from 2018

In 2023, 281.6 million people or 21.5 percent of the analysed population faced high levels of acute food insecurity in 59 food-crisis countries/territories. Although the overall share of the analysed population facing high levels of acute food insecurity was marginally lower than in 2022, it remained higher than pre-COVID-19 levels (see figure 1). The number of people facing these conditions increased by 24 million since 2022. Greater analysis coverage, as well as deteriorating acute food insecurity in some countries/territories outweighing improvements in others, underpin the rising numbers. This fifth consecutive year of growing numbers of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity confirms the enormity of the challenge of achieving the goal of ending hunger by 2030. Food crises escalated alarmingly in conflict hotspots in 2023 – notably in Palestine (Gaza Strip) and the Sudan. The population analysed has risen each year since 2020. Increased coverage between 2022 and 2023 identified 17.5 million additional acutely food-insecure people in need of urgent assistance. In countries with comparable data between 2022 and 2023, acute food insecurity deteriorated in 12 of them where 13.5 million more people needed urgent food and livelihood assistance. Two-thirds of the additional people were in the Sudan. Meanwhile, food security improved in 17 countries resulting in 7.2 million fewer people facing high levels of acute food insecurity.  The GRFC has identified 36 protracted food crises (i.e. in all eight editions of the report). Nineteen of these were major food crises that have accounted for up to 80 percent of the total population facing high levels of acute food insecurity in each edition. In these 19 countries, the share of the analysed population experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity increased from 17 percent in 2016 to 25 percent in 2021 and has remained at the same level since.