About 282 million people faced acute hunger last year: UN-led report
Al Jazeera
Gaza, Sudan and other conflicts – along with extreme weather and economic shocks – worsened food insecurity, says new report calling the global outlook ‘bleak’ for this year.
Food insecurity worsened around the world in 2023, with about 282 million people suffering from acute hunger due to conflicts, particularly in Gaza and Sudan, according to United Nations agencies and development groups.
Extreme weather events and economic shocks added to the number of those facing acute food insecurity, which grew by 24 million people compared with 2022, according to a global report on food crises from the Food Security Information Network (FSIN) published on Wednesday.
The report, which called the global outlook “bleak” for this year, is produced for an international alliance bringing together UN agencies, the European Union and governmental and non-governmental bodies.
The year 2023 was the fifth consecutive one with a rising number of people suffering acute food insecurity – defined as when populations face food deprivation that threatens lives or livelihoods, regardless of the causes or length of time.
Much of last year’s increase was due to the report’s expanded geographic coverage and deteriorating conditions in 12 countries.
