Today's Edition
ISIDORA CIRIC (ABU DHABI)
Acute hunger levels have surged globally, impacting nearly 282 million people across 59 countries and territories in 2023, marking a significant increase of 24 million people from the previous year, a UN-backed report revealed on Wednesday.
For the past four years, nearly 22% of the populations assessed have faced acute food insecurity, the latest Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) said, a figure significantly higher than the levels observed before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023 alone, the number of affected individuals worldwide has reached 281.5 million.
“Acute food insecurity refers to a situation in which populations face food deprivation that threatens their lives or livelihoods, regardless of the causes, context or duration,” the report explained. The issue becomes a matter of life or death when individuals reach IPC/CH Phases 3 (serious), 4 (critical), or 5 (catastrophe), the highest levels within the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification of acute malnutrition.
Around 705,200 people worldwide have reached the IPC 5 level of food insecurity, risking starvation and death - the highest number reported in the history of the GRFC - with a fourfold increase since 2016.
The Gaza Strip is facing “the most severe food crisis in IPC history”, accounting for 80% of the total number of individuals at imminent risk of famine, with almost the entirety of the population facing some level of food insecurity.
“By late 2023, besiegement, mass displacement, destruction of infrastructure indispensable to survival and severely restricted humanitarian access drove the Gaza Strip to become the most severe food crisis in IPC and GRFC history,” the report said.
Moreover, the report projected that approximately 1.1 million people in Gaza will reach “catastrophic” hunger levels by July 2024.
The GRFC highlighted that children and women are disproportionately affected, with 36.4 million children under the age of five suffering from acute malnutrition in 32 countries. Out of those, 26.6 million face moderate acute malnutrition, while 9.8 million face severe acute malnutrition.
Nigeria has the highest number of affected youth, with almost 2 million suffering from severe acute malnutrition and approximately 4 million from moderate acute malnutrition, followed by Ethiopia, and Afghanistan.
Key drivers of these food crises include escalating conflicts, economic shocks, and extreme weather events, which continue to exacerbate the fragility of food systems and inequality. These factors contribute significantly to global displacement and worsen the protection situation for those affected.
The report also shed light on protracted hunger, noting that 36 countries have consistently featured in the GRFC since 2016, representing 80% of the world’s most hungry. The number of people facing “emergency” levels of food insecurity has increased by 1 million across 39 countries, with Sudan experiencing the most significant rise.
