The United Nations says hunger is getting worse in many parts of the world. It named Nigeria and 12 other countries as places where famine could happen soon if urgent help isn’t provided.
In a report called Hunger Hotspots, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) listed the countries suffering the most from hunger. They said wars, economic problems, and natural disasters are pushing millions toward starvation.
The report warned that the hunger crisis will get worse over the next five months unless more people get aid and funding for humanitarian work increases.
Some of the countries most at risk of famine are Gaza, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali. The UN says the situation in these places is extremely serious.
UN agencies warned that without more global help, current aid efforts might fail. This is because of growing violence and not enough money to keep going.
Nigeria was named as one of the countries in serious trouble, along with Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and others.
The report said that armed conflict, people being forced to leave their homes, rising prices, and insecurity are making food shortages worse in these areas, including Nigeria.
While Nigeria is not yet officially in a famine, the UN said that if people don’t get regular help and support, millions could suffer extreme hunger soon.
To declare a famine, three things must happen in an area: 20% of people must have extreme food shortages, 30% of children must be very malnourished, and at least two people out of 10,000 must be dying each day from hunger or related illness.
In Sudan, a famine was confirmed earlier in 2024. Fighting there has forced many people to leave their homes and stopped farming, putting about 25 million people at risk of severe hunger.
The WFP said the crisis in Sudan is still very serious and may get worse because the violence hasn’t stopped. South Sudan is also in danger, with both political problems and flooding putting about 7.7 million people at risk. Around 63,000 people there are already living in famine-like conditions.
In Gaza, ongoing Israeli military attacks and a blockade have left all 2.1 million people with very little food. Nearly 500,000 people could be facing famine by the end of September.
In Haiti, gang violence and people being forced from their homes have made it hard for many to get food.
About 8,400 people in Haiti are already suffering from the worst level of hunger, according to the UN’s food crisis scale.
In Mali, fighting and rising food prices may push at least 2,600 people into famine conditions by the end of August.
WFP chief Cindy McCain called the situation a “red alert.” She said the world knows where hunger is getting worse and who is most at risk, but aid efforts are being held back by a lack of money and access.
She warned, “Without funding and access, we cannot save lives.
The report urged immediate funding for emergency aid and more support to make it easier for help to reach those in need.
It also called for efforts to help people keep farming, even during hard times, so they can keep producing their own food.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said it is very important to protect farms and animals. He explained that helping people grow food during a crisis is urgent and necessary.
Although the global hunger situation is serious, the report said a few countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, and Lebanon have improved and are no longer on the UN’s high-risk hunger list
