FACTBOX - Global hunger: Which countries have been suffering from starvation?

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL (AA) – As Gaza grapples with severe hunger, many regions worldwide are also contending with malnutrition and food shortages amid ongoing conflicts.

From Central America and Haiti to Africa and the Middle East, multiple crises including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war and various violent conflicts and climate disasters worldwide have pushed some countries into food crises.

According to the 2023 Global Hunger Index, nine countries have alarming levels of hunger: Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is experiencing one of the world's largest hunger crises, an estimated 23.4 million people are suffering from hunger propelled by decades of conflict and poverty, according to the UN World Food Program (WFP).

With 2.8 million children acutely malnourished, 27% of the DR Congo's population remains in the grip of food insecurity.

Similarly, Afghanistan faces food insecurity, with approximately 15.8 million Afghans uncertain about their next meal since the Taliban seized control in 2021.

Acute malnutrition is surpassing emergency levels in 25 of 34 Afghan provinces, with urgent nutrition aid required for nearly half of the children under five and a quarter of pregnant and breastfeeding women.

In another country, Yemen, 17 million people are food insecure amid a civil war despite massive humanitarian assistance by the WFP.

In Syria, which is ranked among the top 10 for global hunger, over half the population is suffering from hunger, with another 2.6 million at risk of food insecurity, according to WFP estimates for 2024.

In the Sahel region of north-central Africa, conflicts exacerbate hunger and displacement driven by climate crises, economic challenges and intercommunal tensions.

Burkina Faso and Mali face catastrophic hunger levels amid limited humanitarian access, with Niger's political crisis and economic sanctions escalating hunger and humanitarian needs.

Chad’s hosting of a large refugee population strains food-insecure communities, while Sudanese refugees burden resources further.

South Sudan is grappling with a hunger crisis affecting nearly 65% of its population, with 7.1 million people at risk of starvation and 1.65 million malnourished children.

With more than 500,000 people having fled the war in Sudan, South Sudan hosts over 360,000 refugees and 2 million internally displaced persons, which makes the humanitarian situation urgent.

Sudan itself faces a worsening crisis with almost 18 million people experiencing acute hunger, including nearly five million in emergency conditions, the highest ever recorded during the harvest season.

Also, in Somalia, recent floods have displaced nearly half a million people, bringing the country to the brink of famine with 4.3 million people facing hunger.

In Ethiopia, conflicts and drought have left over 9.4 million people in need of food assistance, while Haiti is facing severe food insecurity due to escalating violence between armed groups, putting 44% of its population at risk.

One of the latest places experiencing dire humanitarian conditions is Gaza, which is under Israel’s relentless attacks and a blockade, facing severe starvation.

“Some 80% of the world’s most hunger-ravaged people live in the Gaza Strip,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said last week.

The World Health Organization reported that with over 1.7 million people displaced, an unprecedented 93% of Gaza's population is facing crisis-level hunger, with insufficient food and high levels of malnutrition.

The WFP estimates that more than 333 million people across 78 countries faced acute food insecurity in 2023, unsure about their next meal, highlighting the urgent need for action to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal target of zero hunger by 2030.​​​​​​​