Announcing that the world is heading into a deeper hunger crisis due to the severe shortfall in humanitarian funding, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) recently published the 2026 Global Outlook report. The agency continued to warn that an estimated 318 million people could face acute food insecurity next year, which is more than double the number recorded in 2019, indicating a rapid worsening of global hazardous conditions.
While the term ‘acute food insecurity’ refers to life-threatening levels of hunger where individuals lack reliable access to sufficient nutritious and affordable food, the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) reports that of the 318 million people expected to be in crisis or worse next year, about 41 million are projected to experience “emergency” level hunger or higher.
However, amongst these immense needs, the WFP anticipates it will unfortunately be able to only assist approximately 110 million of the most vulnerable people in 2026, which is only roughly around one-third of those in need. This highlights the significant gap resulting from a sharp decline in anticipated funding compared to the amount the agency states is needed to maintain current operations and expand support to emerging crisis zones.
The WFP estimates that as a cost, $13 billion would be necessary to fulfil its operational requirements for 2026. This amount includes funding directed towards immediate crisis response, long-term efforts to build resilience, and addressing the underlying causes of food insecurity. But the agency may only get half of that amount, making it harder to decide how to allocate scarce resources.
As a response, WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain highlighted the true gravity of the situation. “The world is grappling with simultaneous famines in Gaza and parts of Sudan. This state of affairs is completely unacceptable in the 21st century. Hunger is becoming more entrenched.” She continued on to warn that without strengthened global support, most populations will be pushed further into crisis, and it will be increasingly difficult to prevent loss of life.
The ever-growing hunger emergency is being fuelled by numerous overlapping crises. In regions such as Sudan, fighting between rival forces, which is considered an ongoing armed conflict, is the dominant driver of many issues related to food insecurity. Famine declarations in areas including El-Fasher and Kadugli are primary examples of these events. In a similar comparison, Gaza undergoing the same dynamics, where famine conditions have been confirmed amid prolonged conflict and obstructions, shows one a clear picture of the profound toll that war takes on food systems and access to humanitarian support.
Climate-related shocks, such as droughts, floods, and heatwaves, are intensifying food insecurity in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and South Africa, impacting millions continuously.
Floods have also worsened water pollution by spreading contaminants and damaging infrastructure, which reduces clean water supplies and further intensifies widespread water shortages.
Shortages in funding are already disrupting aid across several regions, leaving millions increasingly vulnerable. As a main example, South Sudan faces extreme hunger, while Central Sahel and Nigeria risk major assistance cuts. In eastern DRC, conflict and blocked routes threaten a total aid collapse, and the drought in Somalia makes soaring prices deepen its crises, while severe floods in Sri Lanka and Malaysia worsen displacement, damage crops, and heighten urgent humanitarian needs.
Donor fatigue and shifting geopolitical priorities have sharply reduced global aid, with major cuts from the United States and several European governments. These reductions have severely weakened the humanitarian sector’s ability to respond effectively to rapidly escalating crises worldwide. Without urgent global support, millions risk worsening hunger, displacement, and humanitarian crises worldwide.
