GNV News 2025 year 4 month 23 day

On March 28, 2025, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced that tens of millions are facing extreme hunger due to an unprecedented funding shortfall. Today, conflict, economic crises, the climate crisis, and other factors are increasing the number of people facing food crises, and in 2024, the number of people in severe food crisis rose by about 10% year on year to 343 million. Despite the growing number of people in need of assistance, funding provided to WFP by governments, companies, and individuals in 2025 has decreased by roughly 40% compared with the previous year; at this rate, WFP will only be able to assist 123 million people—about one-third of those who need help.

WFP is carrying out emergency operations in 28 countries it identifies as being in the most critical situation, but record worst food crises are currently unfolding in Sudan and Haiti. In Sudan, where armed conflict continues, about half the population—24.6 million people—are experiencing severe food insecurity, and among them, 638,000 are facing “catastrophic hunger,” the most severe level defined by WFP. In Haiti, where government functions have effectively collapsed and armed groups continue to clash, it is estimated that by June 2025 more than half the population—5.7 million people—will fall into severe food insecurity. Meanwhile, in South Sudan, which already faces multiple conflicts at both national and local levels and is further affected by the conflict in neighboring Sudan, 7.7 million people—57% of the population—are facing severe food insecurity, with a severe food crisis progressing that is approaching the 7.8 million seen in 2023.

Learn more about food shortages → “Global food shortages: the issues that go unreported”

Learn more about climate change and food → “Climate change that harms food supplies”

Learn more about refugees and food→“Refugees: their current situation and widening disparities”

Loading relief supplies bound for Somalia, one of the countries facing the most severe food crisis (Photo: EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid / Flickr [CC BY 2.0])