Climate, Conflict, Defunding By Trump, Drive Record Hunger Levels Says UN

India-West News Desk

NEW YORK, NY — A surge in climate-related disasters has helped push global hunger to unprecedented levels in 2024, with nearly 300 million people facing acute food insecurity, according to a new United Nations report released on Thursday.

Droughts, floods, and other weather extremes — many linked to the El Niño climate pattern — were major contributors to food crises across 18 countries, impacting over 96 million people. Southern Africa, Southern Asia, and the Horn of Africa were especially hard-hit, the report found.

Reuters reported that 2024 marked the sixth straight year of rising hunger, with the number of people facing acute food insecurity jumping 5% from 2023 levels — now totaling 295 million people across 53 countries and territories. In some regions, over one in five people are experiencing crisis-level hunger or worse.

Extreme weather is not the only driver. The U.N. report also warned that a steep drop in humanitarian funding — the sharpest since tracking began — is likely to worsen the situation in 2025. Projections show cuts between 10% and 45% to food assistance programs. Much of the drop stems from a shift in U.S. foreign aid policy: President Donald Trump’s administration has scaled back the U.S. Agency for International Development, slashing more than 80% of its humanitarian programs.

As climate shocks destabilize food systems, armed conflict remains the single largest cause of hunger. Reuters noted that nearly 140 million people in 20 countries were affected by conflict-induced food crises in 2024. The report identified Gaza, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali as experiencing “catastrophic” hunger, while Sudan confirmed famine conditions.

Child malnutrition has reached alarming levels, with nearly 38 million children under five suffering from acute malnutrition in 26 food crisis zones. Forced displacement, too, intensified hunger, as 95 million refugees and internally displaced people lived in countries experiencing major food crises.

To reverse the trend, the U.N. called for greater investment in local agriculture. “Evidence shows that supporting local food systems can help the most people, with dignity, and at lower cost,” Paulsen said.