The Global Report on Food Crises for 2023 emphasized the alarming situation of acute hunger, where approximately 282 million individuals across 59 countries were reported to suffer from severe food scarcity. Gaza emerged as the territory with the most significant number of people facing famine, reflecting the devastating impact of war on food security in that region. The report pointed out a distressing increase of 24 million individuals grappling with acute hunger compared to the previous year, citing a particularly concerning deterioration in food security in locations such as the Gaza Strip and Sudan.
Mximo Torero, the chief economist for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, underlined a substantial rise to 705,000 people in five countries now at Phase 5, the highest level of hunger on the global scale, a stark contrast from 2016 when the report initiated. Gaza alone accounted for over 80% of those on the brink of famine, amounting to 577,000 individuals. Beyond Gaza, countries like South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Somalia, and Mali had significant populations facing catastrophic levels of hunger, indicating a widespread crisis across various regions.
The future projections provided in the report forewarn of a continued escalation of hunger crises, with estimates indicating around 1.1 million individuals in Gaza and 79,000 in South Sudan expected to reach Phase 5 and encounter famine by July. Conflicts and displacement were underlined as exacerbating factors, with ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Sudan exacerbating hunger levels. The mention of environmental factors like the impact of the El Nino phenomenon and its consequences, such as flooding in East Africa and drought in Southern Africa, further complicating the food security situation globally.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the escalating crises, emphasizing the need for urgent action to address the root causes of acute hunger and malnutrition. Guterres highlighted the tragic reality of children dying due to starvation in a world of abundance, pointing out the compounding effect of conflicts erupting over the past year. The report also stressed the growing numbers of people facing acute food insecurity, signaling a worrying trend that has been on the rise annually since 2016 and has more than doubled since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.