Highlights:

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warn that acute food insecurity is projected to worsen across 16 hunger hotspots during the outlook period from November 2024 to May 2025, including a total of 14 countries and 2 regional clusters which comprise 8 countries.

The Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali remain at the highest concern level. These are countries/territories with Famine or Risk of Famine, or with populations already in Catastrophe (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification [IPC]/Cadre Harmonisé [CH] Phase 5), necessitating the most urgent attention.;

Chad, Lebanon, Myanmar, Mozambique, Nigeria, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen are classified as hotspots of very high concern, where large numbers of people are facing or are projected to face critical levels of acute food insecurity. This situation is driven by escalating factors that threaten to deepen already life-threatening conditions.

Since the May 2024 edition, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia and the Niger have been added to the hunger hotspots list, while Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi, Somalia, Zambia and Zimbabwe remain designated as hunger hotspots.

Conflict and armed violence continue to be the primary drivers of hunger in numerous hotspots, disrupting food systems, displacing populations, and obstructing humanitarian access.

Beyond conflict, weather extremes and increased climate variability are exacerbating acute food insecurity in many regions. La Niña, expected to persist through March 2025, will significantly impact rainfall patterns and temperatures.

If anticipated reductions in funding for emergency agriculture, food, and livelihood assistance occur, they are expected to exacerbate conditions in several hunger hotspots. Immediate and scaled-up assistance is crucial in all 16 hunger hotspots to protect livelihoods and improve access to food.

If anticipated reductions in funding for emergency agriculture, food, and livelihood assistance occur, they are expected to exacerbate conditions in several hunger hotspots. Immediate and scaled-up assistance is crucial in all 16 hunger hotspots to protect livelihoods and improve access to food.