UN Reports Nearly Half Global Hunger Concentrated in Africa Amid Rising Food Insecurity

A new UN report reveals that Africa is home to nearly half of the world's chronically hungry people, with 307 million affected in 2024, representing 46% of the global total and over one in five Africans. Despite a slight global decline in hunger rates to 8.2% in 2024, hunger is rising sharply in most African sub-regions and western Asia, driven by conflict, climate shocks, inflation, and weak agricultural productivity. The UN projects that by 2030, nearly 60% of the world's chronically undernourished—about 512 million people—will be in Africa, underscoring the continent's food security crisis and the urgent need for intervention. In East and Central Africa alone, 88.5 million people remain highly food insecure, with conflict and displacement worsening the situation, particularly in countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. While other regions such as South America and Southern Asia have made progress in reducing hunger, Africa's food insecurity continues to intensify, with over 1 billion people unable to afford a healthy diet in 2024. UN officials emphasize that reversing this trend is critical to achieving the global goal of zero hunger by 2030.