UN Report Warns of Deepening Hunger Crisis in Africa as Over 1 Billion Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet

New York, July 30 – The United Nations has issued a stark warning over the worsening hunger crisis in Africa, revealing that more than 1 billion people—approximately two-thirds of the continent’s population—were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2024.

The findings are part of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2025 report, released on Monday. Jointly compiled by five UN agencies—the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), and World Health Organization (WHO)—the report analyzes global progress toward eliminating hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition.

According to the report, while hunger levels have slightly declined on a global scale—affecting 8.2% of the world’s population, or approximately 673 million people, down from 8.5% in 2023—Africa continues to experience a sharp and disproportionate rise in food insecurity.

“The proportion of the population facing hunger in Africa surpassed 20% in 2024, impacting 307 million individuals,” the report stated.

Projections indicate that by 2030, nearly 60% of the world’s chronically undernourished population will reside in Africa. Particularly alarming is the growing number of people unable to afford nutritious food: from 864 million in 2019 to over 1 billion in 2024, even as global figures have declined slightly—from 2.76 billion to 2.6 billion over the same period.

WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain raised concerns over the widening gap between urgent humanitarian needs and dwindling global support.

“Hunger remains at alarming levels, yet the funding needed to tackle it is falling,” she said. “This year, funding cuts of up to 40% mean that tens of millions of people will lose the vital lifeline we provide.”

McCain further warned that the inability to deliver life-saving aid could unravel years of developmental progress and exacerbate instability in already volatile regions.

Highlighting the situation in Nigeria, the WFP announced last week that it urgently requires $130 million to continue its operations there, where more than 30 million people face acute food insecurity.

FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero attributed Africa’s deteriorating food landscape to a combination of structural and environmental challenges, including low agricultural productivity, rapid population growth, prolonged conflict, and the adverse impacts of climate change.

As the global community continues to push toward the Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger by 2030, the report serves as a sobering reminder of the critical need for renewed commitment, investment, and international cooperation—particularly in regions where vulnerability is escalating most rapidly.