Tai Po Fire Emergency Response
Millions in need of help as a food crisis spans across the globe
Last Update：2026/03/20Tags：
Due to a mix of the impact of conflict, extreme weather, and an economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the global hungry population experienced a staggering increase in 2020 and has persisted until now. According to the latest report published by the United Nations, as many as 720 million people worldwide are estimated to lack sufficient food, Africa continues to be the region that has the largest percentage of the population facing hunger, and the numbers are still on the rise.
Supply chain delays and shrinking aid fuel food crisis
Some may question: Why has hunger yet to be solved after all these years? In fact, the number of people facing hunger had been declining thanks to global efforts—until the pandemic erupted in 2019 and reversed the trend. As prevention measures were imposed, farmers, who are at the heart of global food supply, were forced to stay at home and had their income source cut off, leading to a severe hit on the global food supply chain.
Moreover, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has further aggravated global food shortages. Many countries are dependent on wheat, sunflower oil, fertiliser, fuel and gas supplies from Russia and Ukraine, but port closures, damaged farmland and destroyed infrastructure have caused disruption in production and supplies. Prices of food, energy and transport have risen as a result, leading to food shortages and increased costs of living that are hitting the most vulnerable extremely hard.
Long-standing food insecurity, already aggravated by the pandemic and conflict, is now deteriorating further because international humanitarian funding has dropped sharply. Funding to food sectors is projected to drop by as much as 45%, and nutrition services in fragile countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Afghanistan have already been severely affected.
Children are the first to suffer as food insecurity worsens
Children living in countries that experience food insecurity are particularly prone to malnutrition, and prolonged malnutrition may lead to stunting. Currently, more than 150 million children under five worldwide suffer from stunting, which indicates the severity of child malnutrition. In fact, malnutrition has a major impact on children’s physical and psychological development, and is one of the main underlying causes of preventable deaths among children under five.
Food insecurity affects the whole world, and no region has been spared. Farmers and pastoralists in impoverished countries are especially affected, with the effects of climate change and conflict causing them to starve, to sell their belongings for survival, and to even marry off a young daughter in exchange for a dowry, or withdraw a child from school to work as child labour. Yet the damage caused by a vicious cycle of poverty is often irreversible for children no matter physically, mentally, or emotionally. They need help.
According to the latest reports from the United Nations, multiple vulnerable countries in the world are still facing severe food insecurity and need international assistance to turn things around. They include the following countries in Africa and Asia:
Somalia
Parents are heartbroken and helpless as they witness their children become feeble due to a lack of food.
In East Africa, Somalia is threatened by conflict and climate change at the same time. The ongoing effects of drought have resulted in very poor harvests, loss of livestock and displacement of poor population, causing even greater intercommunal conflicts and forming a vicious cycle. It is estimated that 3.4 million people, nearly one-fifth of the population, now face severe levels of acute food insecurity. Besides, about 1.85 million children under five in Somalia are now suffering from acute malnutrition, including more than 420,000 severely malnourished and in real threat of losing their lives.
South Sudan
When this child was yet to be a year old, she had already suffered three relapses of malnutrition.
South Sudan, another country in East Africa, has been bearing the impact of intercommunal conflicts, economic shocks, influx of refugees from Sudan, as well as disasters caused by climate change. According to estimates, around 42% of the nation’s population, which is nearly 6 million people, are facing a severe food crisis. Among them, 28,000 people are experiencing famine-like conditions (Phase 5) on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) scale. If timely and sufficient assistance is not made available, it is feared that many will face the threat of death.
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
While conflict in the eastern part of the country continues, tens of thousands of people have become displaced and lost their livelihoods, forcing them to live on food distributed by World Vision and other humanitarian agencies.
DRC in Central Africa has faced prolonged instability. More than one-fifth of its population, which is about 24.8 million people, now face severe levels of acute food insecurity, with over 3.2 million of them facing what is classified as “emergency” (Phase 4) on the IPC scale. As conflict in the eastern provinces continues, international trade and other livelihood activities have been hampered. This all but means that the hunger situation has been made even more challenging.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan has been experiencing years of food insecurity. Many children are severely affected and have become malnourished due to prolonged starvation.
Even though active conflict has reduced since the transition of power in August 2021, the ongoing economic crisis, combined with multiple disasters like droughts, floods and earthquakes, has led to a severe food crisis to date. Currently, it is estimated that more than one-quarter of the population, which is about 13.8 million people, are experiencing severe food insecurity, with 2.9 million caught in “emergency” level of acute food insecurity on the IPC scale.
You can help make a difference
The situation may look bleak, but we can work together to turn the tide. With decades of experience in relief responses, and long-term partnerships with the WFP and other local organisations, World Vision is capable of efficiently bringing food to the hands of those in need. Your participation is extremely important to making these rescue efforts possible.
By pooling the donations raised worldwide, World Vision was able to partner with WFP and other organisations to reach 14.5 million people, including 8.3 million children, with support in 2024. This year, we will continue to do the following:
- Distribute emergency food and cash assistance* to affected families
- Provide livelihood assistance to help families recover
- Provide treatment and therapeutic food for malnourished children and offer primary healthcare support for communities
- Provide clean water for communities to maintain good hygiene and prevent diseases
- Protect children and women and provide psychosocial support
* World Vision partners with WFP to distribute food aid and cash assistance.
In some hard-to-reach communities, World Vision conducts air drops to deliver food to those in need.
World Vision delivers clean water to communities affected by drought.
World Vision supports clinics in providing treatment for malnourished children.
