NEW YORK, /PNN /

A new United Nations report has issued a stark warning about the worsening global hunger crisis, highlighting the severe food insecurity affecting millions around the world.

Released today, the report details how conflicts and climate change have sharply increased the number of people suffering from acute hunger, with regions such as Sudan and Gaza being among the hardest hit.

UN officials, presenting the semi-annual update on the Global Food Crises Report for 2024, covering the period up to the end of August 2024, emphasized the urgent need for increased humanitarian funding and efforts to address the root causes of food crises, such as conflicts and climate change, to prevent worsening conditions and avoid broader famines.

According to the report, the number of people facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity has doubled from 705,000 in five countries and regions in 2023 to 1.9 million in four countries or regions in 2024.

Gaza's hunger crisis at historic high

Regarding the situation in Gaza, Maximo Torero, Chief Economist at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), stated that the food crisis in Gaza remains the most severe in the history of the Global Food Crises Report, with nearly 2.2 million residents still in dire need of food and assistance.

The crisis has intensified, with half of the population experiencing famine conditions between March and April 2024, up from a quarter of the population between December 2023 and February 2024.

Forecasts suggest that this proportion will decrease to 22% of the population—approximately 495,000 people—between June and September 2024. While evidence does not indicate ongoing famine, the risk remains, according to the report.