Press release
Hunger is declining on paper, but not in reality… In 2024, conflict zones were at the heart of the crisis
The State of Food Insecurity in the World (SOFI) report, published by five United Nations agencies, presents data from 2024. It reports a slight decrease in the number of people suffering from hunger worldwide compared to last year, with 673 million people (8.2% of the global population) undernourished.
However, this apparent improvement masks a much more worrying reality in certain regions, particularly in Africa and in certain conflict zones. Gaza is one such region, where mass starvation is spreading.
Furthermore, as the report focuses on data from 2024, it does not mention the drastic cuts in international aid which are sure to set back the achievement of the right to food in 2025.
The epicentres of a worsening crisis
“This report reveals a glaring injustice: while some countries are making progress, others are sinking deeper into hunger. We cannot talk about progress while millions of lives are being left behind. Hunger is not inevitable; it is a direct consequence of political choices,” says Perrine Benoist, Co-Executive Director of Action Against Hunger.
The African continent is now home to nearly half of the world’s hungry people, and projections indicate that this figure will rise to 60% by 2030.
According to IPC figures that complement the SOFI report, 100% of the population of the Gaza Strip experienced high levels of acute food insecurity, as did over half of the inhabitants of South Sudan and Sudan, and almost half of Yemen’s population.
Action Against Hunger has been present in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since 1997, where the nutritional situation has now reached a critical level. The intensification of armed conflicts, combined with a structural crisis in the west, is exacerbating food insecurity and has plunged more than 27.7 million people into severe food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 and above), including 3.9 million into a food emergency (IPC Phase 4)¹.The SOFI 2025 report confirms this alarming trend, highlighting one of the world’s highest prevalence rates of undernutrition.
Globally, hunger levels remain significantly higher than before the pandemic and well above 2015 levels, the year the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted. In 2024, 96 million more people were suffering from hunger than at this baseline date.
Key figures from the SOFI 2025 report
- In 2024, 673 million people suffered from hunger.
- One in five people in Africa (306.5 million) are undernourished.
- A total of 2.3 billion people, accounting for 28% of the global population, experienced moderate or severe food insecurity. This means they either did not have regular access to sufficient food or lacked food to the extent of going an entire day without eating.
- Women and children are disproportionately affected: only 48% of women and 25% of children in Africa achieve minimum dietary diversity.
- Although stunting is declining slightly, it still affects 23.2% (150.2 million) of children under the age of five.
Massive budget cuts, not yet reflected in the SOFI report figures
The SOFI report data only goes up to 2024 and says nothing about the looming humanitarian crisis. In 2025, international funding collapsed while the need for food increased dramatically. USAID has been dismantled and the decline in official development assistance in France is estimated at -52% in 2026 compared to 2024. Drastic cuts are also underway throughout Northern Europe.
“These figures are alarming enough, but the worst may be yet to come. Cuts in international aid will hit the most vulnerable populations hardest. This is a political decision, and it has a huge human cost“ warns Perrine Benoist, Co-Executive Director of Action Against Hunger.
According to a study published in The Lancet in July 2025, the human cost has now been quantified. US budget cuts alone could lead to up to 14 million additional deaths by 2030, including 4.5 million children under the age of five, largely due to deteriorating access to nutrition, healthcare and social protection in the most vulnerable countries.
The impact of inflation on food insecurity
The SOFI report also highlights the fact that food price inflation has exceeded overall inflation since 2020. In January 2023, global food inflation stood at 13.6%, compared to 8.5% for overall inflation. This puts further pressure on prices, making access to healthy food even more difficult, particularly for the most vulnerable populations.
The SOFI report identifies two significant events as the primary causes of this inflation: the global pandemic of 2020 and the war in Ukraine. However, the report is very muted about the impact of the climate crisis on this inflation and completely ignores the role played by certain international actors in food commodity speculation. Yet this mechanism plays a significant part in the food price crisis.
“Food is not a commodity like any other: eating is a fundamental human right. It is essential to regulate the international food market to enable the full attainment of the right to food and nutrition! “ says Perrine Benoist, Co-Executive Director of Action Against Hunger.