Food insecurity is not spread evenly around the world.
The latest FAO-WFP Hunger Hotspots report warns that acute food insecurity is expected to worsen for millions of people across 13 countries between June and November 2026.
The report is especially important because it focuses on acute food insecurity rather than using global production figures as a proxy for hunger.
The highest-concern hotspots
FAO and WFP identify Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen and Palestine as the world’s most critical hotspots by severity and magnitude.
Northeast Nigeria and Somalia are also in the highest-concern group.
The remaining hotspots are countries where conflict, displacement, climate shocks, economic pressure or limited humanitarian access are increasing the risk of further deterioration.
The exact risk differs from country to country, so a single “famine list” can be misleading.
Sudan
Sudan is the clearest example of how conflict can turn food insecurity into a severe humanitarian emergency.
FAO and WFP report that 19.5 million people, about 41% of the population, faced high acute food insecurity through May 2026.
Famine risk was identified in multiple areas under defined assumptions about conflict and humanitarian access.
South Sudan
FAO and WFP projected 7.8 million people could face Crisis or worse conditions between April and July 2026, with multiple areas facing potential Famine risk.
Flooding, displacement, weak livelihoods and limited access to food all interact with the country’s vulnerability.
Yemen
Yemen continues to face severe acute food insecurity, with millions projected to experience Crisis or worse conditions.
The drivers include prolonged conflict, economic weakness, restricted livelihoods and humanitarian pressures.
Palestine
The Hunger Hotspots report says food-security conditions in Gaza remained extremely fragile after improvements following the October 2025 ceasefire.
The report noted that 1.6 million people were acutely food insecure in the period covered by its earlier analysis, while no projection covering the full June-November outlook period was available at drafting.
Northeast Nigeria and Somalia
Nigeria entered the highest-concern group because of worsening conditions, particularly in Borno State.
Around 34.8 million people were projected to face Crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity across the June-August 2026 period, including an estimated 15,000 people in Catastrophe in Borno.
Somalia faces a different combination of prolonged drought, low agricultural output, conflict and economic pressure.
Why funding matters
Food assistance depends on logistics, financing and access.
When humanitarian funding declines, agencies have fewer resources to move food, support livelihoods and maintain emergency services.
The result can be a crisis that becomes worse not because food has disappeared globally, but because vulnerable people have lost their normal ways of accessing it.
Climate is part of the picture
Weather can make a fragile system more difficult to manage.
Drought can reduce crops and pasture.
Flooding can destroy roads, homes, storage and farmland.
Heat can increase water needs.
But climate is rarely the only cause of acute food insecurity. Conflict and access constraints can turn an agricultural problem into a much larger humanitarian emergency.
How to read “Famine risk”
A projected or identified risk of Famine does not mean Famine is confirmed.
IPC classifications are based on defined evidence and thresholds. Reporting should preserve the distinction between Crisis, Emergency, Catastrophe and Famine.
What readers should watch
For the latest assessment, follow IPC updates, FAO-WFP Hunger Hotspots, WFP country operations and local market information.
Our Global Food Crisis coverage explains how regional emergencies fit into the wider food system.
Bottom line
The 13 hunger hotspots show why global food production statistics are only part of the story.
Millions of people can face severe food insecurity because conflict, poverty, displacement, weather and restricted access prevent them from obtaining enough food.
That is why food-supply reporting has to follow people and places, not only tonnes of grain.