A recent report by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) reveals that hunger worldwide has remained alarmingly high — with 733 million people undernourished in 2023 — marking three consecutive years of stagnation or worsening food insecurity.
According to the report published in July 2024, roughly “one in 11 people globally” faced hunger in 2023, with the burden disproportionately high in Africa, where one in five people were undernourished. Although some regions — such as parts of Asia and Latin America — saw modest improvements, “the world has been set back 15 years,” with levels of undernourishment comparable to those in 2008–2009.
The report warns that multiple overlapping crises — including protracted conflicts, extreme weather events, economic shocks and funding shortfalls — are driving the sustained high levels of hunger. Without urgent, large-scale international action — including increased humanitarian funding, food assistance, and long-term resilience investments — millions more risk sliding into acute food insecurity in the coming years.
