Category: World Food Program

Source: World Food Programme

BEIRUT, Lebanon – The Government of Lebanon and the UN, with generous funding from the European Union, launched today an intervention to assist conflict-affected farming households and protect agricultural livelihoods across the country. This support is part of a larger multi-year programme funded by the European Union and jointly implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, WFP and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Led by the Ministry of Agriculture in close alignment with the Ministry of Social Affairs’ national Shock-Responsive Safety Net, the initiative comes as conflict and displacement continue to disrupt agricultural production and rural livelihoods. To date, 46,500 hectares of agricultural land have been affected, while many families have lost income, productive assets and their ability to sustain farming activities. At the same time, food insecurity is worsening across Lebanon, with 1.24 million people facing acute food insecurity.

Through the programme, vulnerable farming families will receive support to meet their immediate needs, cope with growing challenges and protect their livelihoods from further deterioration. In its initial phase, the programme aims to support 2,000 conflict-affected households through cash-based assistance.

The programme builds on existing government systems to help ensure that assistance reaches farmers quickly and effectively. It draws on Ministry of Agriculture data, including the national Farmers’ Registry supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as well as the conflict-related agricultural registration launched at the onset of the war. The initiative is also aligned with national social protection systems to support transparent and efficient delivery of assistance.

“This program reflects Lebanon’s commitment to placing agricultural resilience at the center of national recovery. By integrating the National Farmers’ Registry, conflict-impact assessments, geospatial data and shock-responsive social protection mechanisms, we are establishing a science-based and evidence-driven framework that enables transparent, efficient and equitable targeting of the most vulnerable farming households.

“Protecting farmers’ livelihoods is not only an emergency response; it is a strategic investment in safeguarding national food security, preserving rural economies and strengthening the resilience of Lebanon’s agrifood systems against future crises. This integrated approach reinforces national institutions, enhances coordination across government and development partners, and creates a scalable model for delivering timely agricultural assistance through national systems.

“We deeply value the European Union’s continued support and the strong partnership with WFP and FAO. Together, we are not only addressing the immediate consequences of conflict, but also laying the foundations for a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive agricultural sector capable of supporting Lebanon’s long-term recovery and development,” said H.E. Dr. Nizar Hani, Minister of Agriculture in Lebanon.

“The impact of conflict extends far beyond the immediate loss of income, it affects people’s dignity, resilience and ability to recover. By linking agricultural assistance to Lebanon’s national Shock-Responsive Safety Net, we are ensuring that support reaches the most vulnerable farming families through transparent, government-led systems. 

“This partnership demonstrates how stronger national institutions can deliver more effective assistance in times of crisis while laying the foundation for a more resilient and inclusive social protection system. 

“We thank the European Union, WFP and FAO for their continued partnership in supporting Lebanon’s recovery and strengthening the capacity of our national institutions,” said H.E. Haneen Sayed, Minister of Social Affairs in Lebanon. 

The programme brings together government institutions and partners to deliver a coordinated response that supports vulnerable farming families while strengthening national systems.

“The European Union is proud to support Lebanon in protecting those whose livelihoods have been most affected by the conflict. By linking agricultural support with Lebanon’s national social protection system, this programme demonstrates that emergency assistance can also strengthen national institutions and lay the foundations for a more resilient and inclusive recovery. Together with the Ministries of Agriculture and Social Affairs, WFP and FAO, we are investing in solutions that help vulnerable farming families recover today while improving the country’s preparedness for future shocks,” said H.E. Sandra De Waele, Ambassador of the European Union to Lebanon.

WFP is supporting this government-led initiative by providing technical and operational assistance to deliver support to vulnerable farming families and strengthen Lebanon’s capacity to respond to future crises.

“Lebanon’s farmers are at the heart of the country’s food security. When conflict disrupts agricultural livelihoods, the consequences extend beyond individual households and affect entire communities and food systems,” said Anne Valand, WFP Lebanon Deputy Country Director. “This initiative provides immediate support to vulnerable farming families while strengthening Lebanon’s ability to respond to future shocks.”

As needs continue to grow, the Government of Lebanon, the European Union and WFP remain committed to supporting vulnerable communities, protecting livelihoods and helping rural families recover and rebuild.

Notes to Editors

• This support is led by the Ministry of Agriculture in close coordination with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the national emergency response.
• Funding is provided by the European Union.
• WFP provides technical assistance and operational support in support of government-led implementation.
• Assistance is informed by Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data, including the national Farmers’ Registry, and coordinated with national social protection systems.
• The programme combines emergency livelihood protection with efforts to strengthen Lebanon’s capacity to deliver shock-responsive agricultural assistance through national systems.

#                 #                   #

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

Source: World Food Programme

Source: World Food Programme

KATHMANDU, Nepal – The Government of Nepal and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today launched two reports that highlight the remarkable progress made in strengthening food security, nutrition, education, climate resilience and social protection through strong national leadership and partnerships.

The two publications – the Journey of the National Mid-Day Meals Programme and WFP’s Annual Country Report 2025 – document Nepal’s development achievements and its transition from partner supported interventions to nationally owned systems that improve the lives of millions of people. Together, they demonstrate how sustained investments, partnerships and strong government leadership have contributed to building resilient institutions and advancing progress toward the Sustainable Development goals. 

“The achievements celebrated today reflect the power of partnership” noted Riaz Lodhi, WFP Representative and Country Director in Nepal. “Together with the Government of Nepal, development partners, and communities, WFP has helped advance solutions that strengthen food security, improve nutrition, build resilience and support human capital development.” 

The Journey of the National Mid-Day Meals Programme in Nepal chronicles more than five decades of Nepal’s school meals programme. Beginning in 1967 as a small initiative to address classroom hunger, it has now evolved into one of the country’s largest social protection programmes, reaching nearly three million children across all 77 districts and becoming fully financed by the Government of Nepal in 2025.

The report highlights the programme’s contribution to improved school enrolment, attendance, retention and nutrition outcomes, while also strengthening local food systems through the Home-Grown School Feeding approach that connects schools with local smallholder farmers through cooperatives.

‘’Finland is proud to support Nepal’s education sector through the School Sector Education Plan and Home-Grown School Feeding programme,” said H.E. Petri Puhakka, Ambassador of Finland to Nepal. “School meals in Nepal are not just about feeding children: they bring together schools, local governments, parents and farmer groups; and thus, creating a shared commitment to children’s wellbeing and education.’’

U.S. Embassy Nepal Chargé d’Affaires Scott Urbom said, “The best development investments deliver results far beyond their original purpose. School meals improve education and nutrition while creating reliable markets for Nepali farmers, cooperatives, and local businesses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proudly partnered with Nepal on this effort since 2005 because a healthier, better educated, and more prosperous Nepal is also a stronger partner for the United States, creating new opportunities for trade, investment, and cooperation between our countries.”

Speaking at the launch, Hon. Dr. Gunakar Bhatta, Vice Chair of National Planning commission, emphasized that “investing in children remains the national priority and strengthening school meals is strengthening the foundation of Nepal’s future prosperity”. He noted that school meals are strategic investment that simultaneously advances education, nutrition, agriculture, and local economic development, contributing to country’s long-term human capital development.

Building on the progress achieved through national ownership of the programme, Hon. Mr. Bel Bahadur Rana Magar, Minister of Social Development, Sudurpaschim Province, noted that the nationalization of the Mid-Day Meals Programme demonstrates what can be achieved through strong government leadership, sustained partnership, and innovation. He echoed WFP’s contribution in strengthening local food systems and creating market opportunities for women and local farmers through stronger links with schools, while reaffirming the Government’s commitment to building resilient systems that benefit children, communities, and future generations.

The publication also outlines Nepal’s ambition to expand the programme up to grade eight and increase coverage to as many as 4.5 million children in the coming years, further reinforcing school meals as a cornerstone of the country’s social protection and human capital development agenda.

Furthermore, the Annual Country Report 2025 highlights WFP’s support to more than 438,000 people through programmes focused on emergency preparedness and response, school meals, nutrition, climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods and food systems transformation. Among these achievements, the Home-Grown School Feeding approach benefited more than 208,000 students across Nepal, strengthening links between schools, farmers and local markets.

#                 #                  #

The United Nations World Food Programme – saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.

Follow us on Twitter, via @WFP_Nepal and Facebook via @WFPinNepal

Source: World Food Programme

TEHRAN, Iran – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed a EUR 3.08 million contribution from the European Union (EU) to support vulnerable refugees and conflict-affected people in Iran, helping sustain life-saving assistance over 12 months.

This contribution will enable WFP to maintain food security support for populations facing increased economic pressures and humanitarian needs, helping families meet their essential needs and protect their well-being.

Iran hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world, the majority from Afghanistan. With support from the European Union and other partners, WFP provides food assistance to over 35,000 of the most vulnerable refugees across 20 settlements, including cash-based transfers, school feeding programmes and livelihood support.

“Many vulnerable families in Iran are facing growing economic pressures that threaten their ability to put food on the table,” said Mayssa Alghribawy, WFP Representative in Iran. “Thanks to the support of the European Union, WFP can continue providing critical assistance that not only meets immediate needs but also helps strengthen resilience over time.”

The contribution will also support WFP’s assistance to conflict-affected Iranians, ensuring that humanitarian assistance reaches those most in need in a timely, principled and needs-based manner.

Through its partnership with the European Union, WFP provides monthly cash assistance to vulnerable households, enabling families to purchase food from local markets based on their needs and preferences, while supporting local economic activity.

The European Union is a longstanding partner of WFP, and its support in Iran plays a vital role in enabling the organization to maintain operations and respond to evolving humanitarian needs. With this contribution, WFP plans to reach 52,000 (17,000 Iranians and 35,000 refugees) ensuring continued access to food assistance for vulnerable communities across the country.

#                        #                   #

About WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, via @wfp_media and @wfpiran.

Source: World Food Programme

BUJUMBURA, Burundi – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that food assistance for more than 130,000 refugees in Burundi – most of them fleeing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – risks drawing down unless urgent funding is received.

Families who crossed the border in search of safety, food and shelter now face the prospect of losing the very assistance they depend on to survive. WFP urgently needs USD 35 million to sustain food and nutrition support for refugees through August 2027. Without new resources, lifesaving food distributions will end entirely from October 2026.

“Refugee families have already escaped from violence with little more than what they could carry. They came to Burundi looking for safety and something to eat, but now even that lifeline is at risk,” said Arduino Mangoni, WFP’s Acting Country Director in Burundi. “For people who cannot safely return home and have few ways to support themselves, WFP food assistance is not optional, it is what keeps families alive.”

Funding shortfalls have already forced WFP to reduce food rations, eroding refugees’ health and nutrition. If assistance stops, the impact would be immediate and severe. Families already living on reduced rations would face deeper hunger, worsening malnutrition and impossible choices between food, shelter, health care and protection. With no reliable income, limited opportunities to work and nowhere else to turn, many refugees could be pushed into negative coping strategies, while pressure on camps and surrounding host communities could rise.

As renewed violence flared in eastern DRC in late 2025, more than 100,000 people were forced to flee into neighbouring Burundi, adding to the existing refugee population in the country and more than doubling the number of refugees WFP supports. While some refugees have returned voluntarily to DRC, persistent conflict and regional instability continue to drive needs and could trigger further displacement if the situation deteriorates.

“We urgently appeal to donors and the international community to act now,” Mangoni said. “A break in food assistance would come at the worst possible moment for families who have already lost so much. Timely funding will allow WFP to keep food moving, protect the most vulnerable and help prevent a humanitarian emergency from deepening in a region already under strain.”

#                    #                       #

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, via @wfp_media @wfp_africa

Source: World Food Programme

DHAKA, Bangladesh –  The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) activated anticipatory action and shock-responsive social protection last week for communities facing severe flooding in Bandarban district of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, reaching 75,000 people with cash assistance before flood risks intensify. The support is designed to help families meet immediate needs, protect livelihoods and avoid deeper crisis as rains continue.

Under WFP’s Anticipatory Action programme, assistance is delivered before a disaster strikes, based on weather forecasts and pre-agreed triggers. As part of this response, WFP transferred BDT 5,000 (USD 40) through mobile financial services to households identified as being at heightened risk of flooding. 

At the same time, WFP activated its Shock-Responsive Social Protection mechanism, providing emergency cash top-ups to vulnerable households enrolled in government social protection programmes. 

In total, more than 15,600 households in Bandarban Sadar and Lama upazilas received cash assistance, delivered in partnership with WFP cooperating partner Bolipara Nari Kalyan Somity (BNKS). 

The activation came as persistent heavy rainfall triggered flooding across the Chittagong Hill Tracts, affecting Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari districts, with forecasts indicating further rainfall and heightened risks in the days ahead. This Anticipatory Action intervention is supported through a multi-donor trust fund, while the Shock-Responsive Social Protection intervention is funded by the European Union. 

“Climate shocks are becoming more frequent and more intense in Bangladesh, making early action more important than ever,” said Coco Ushiyama, WFP Representative and Country Director in Bangladesh. “By delivering assistance before families are hit by the worst impacts of flooding, we help them protect their food security, livelihoods and assets. At the same time, by strengthening and leveraging national social protection systems, we can support vulnerable people at scale when crises strike.” 

Bangladesh is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Increasingly frequent and severe floods threaten lives, livelihoods and food security, including in flood-prone areas such as the Chittagong Hill Tracts. 

Since 2017, WFP has implemented Anticipatory Action in Bangladesh under the leadership of the Government of Bangladesh and with support from partners including the European Union. Evidence from WFP and its partners shows that, globally, every USD 1 invested in anticipatory action can generate up to USD 7 in avoided losses and additional benefits. 

WFP also supports the Government of Bangladesh to strengthen social protection systems and make them more responsive to climate-related shocks. Through Shock-Responsive Social Protection, existing government programmes can be rapidly expanded during emergencies to provide timely support before vulnerable households fall deeper into crisis. 

Source: World Food Programme

The latest IPC analysis for Gaza reveals both the impact of sustained humanitarian assistance and the scale of the challenges that remain

Rome/New York – New analysis released today shows improvements in food security and child nutrition across the Gaza Strip. However, the United Nations cautioned that the progress, driven largely by expanded access to humanitarian food, nutrition, agricultural and health assistance, remains fragile. While access into Gaza has improved, only one crossing – Kerem Shalom/ Abu Salem – in the south of Gaza remains open, limiting the flow of essential goods that can assist with recovery and leaving the majority of the population dependent on humanitarian aid. The people of Gaza are still struggling to recover their livelihoods, local food systems and essential services.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), UNICEF, and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) highlighted that improvements in food security and nutrition indicators show how quickly conditions can improve when humanitarian response and commercial activity are scaled-up. However, the agencies warned that families in Gaza are still struggling to meet basic needs and improvements could be reversed quickly without sustained humanitarian aid, private sector reactivation, funding, and investment in recovery.

The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis outlined populations in greatest need and showed improvements in food security and child nutrition since December 2025. 

• An estimated 1.4 million people – 67 percent of Gaza’s population – are currently experiencing crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above). This is a decrease from 1.6 million people, or 77 percent of the population, at the end of last year. 
• An estimated 212,000 people remain in Emergency conditions (IPC Phase 4), many of them living in areas near the Israeli military-controlled line where access to humanitarian aid and services remains particularly challenging. 
• Four governorates (North Gaza, Gaza, Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis) are expected to face “alert” levels of malnutrition (IPC phase 2). Some areas near the “yellow line” remained inaccessible to analysts during the survey period, leaving insufficient data for a classification.

A significant scale-up in food and nutrition assistance has taken place since the ceasefire agreement was reached in October 2025. In May 2026 alone:

• Food parcels reached around 1.5 million people
• Multipurpose cash assistance peaked at around 700 000 people
• Nutrition support reached 60 percent of children under-5 with access to acute malnutrition treatment also increasing. 

This compares to September 2025, when around 500,000 people were reached with some form of food assistance and nutrition coverage for children under-5 was less than 1 percent. Immediate improvements in food security were observed following the scale-up and this IPC confirms the trend has continued. Despite these gains, food rations remain insufficient in quantity, quality and dietary diversity. Compounding the problem, commercial imports of fresh produce and proteins are inconsistent. 

An overall improvement in malnutrition rates is largely attributable to the rapid expansion of nutrition prevention programmes, alongside increased access to treatment for severe and moderate malnutrition. These gains remain highly dependent on sustained humanitarian assistance and have occurred despite continued shortages of nutritious foods, recurrent disease outbreaks, limited access to safe water and sanitation, and the near collapse of livelihoods. Some 74,000 children are still expected to require treatment for acute malnutrition over the coming year, with approximately 25,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women requiring nutrition support in the same period.

While any significant recovery of livelihoods or broader economic activity has yet to begin, there are early signs that local food production can be restored where farmers and herders are able to access cropland, agricultural inputs, productive assets, veterinary support and other essential services such as energy for irrigation. This is already evident in the livestock sector, where sheep inventories have increased by 33 percent in areas where support has been sustained. Communities are showing considerable resourcefulness in restarting small-scale economic activity wherever conditions allow. However, this can only go so far without the removal of restrictions on what enters the Strip. More than 70 percent of Gaza’s cropland is not accessible, placing it out of reach regardless of damage or input access, and only 3 percent is currently usable. Recovery cannot happen at scale while this land remains inaccessible and while there are continued restrictions on the commercial import and humanitarian delivery of agricultural inputs. This includes the import of non-dual-use agricultural inputs, such as seeds, organic fertilizers, fertilized eggs and small animals, for both commercial and humanitarian actors. Sea access also remains prohibited, limiting people’s ability to produce food, earn an income and rebuild their lives.

FAO, UNICEF, and WFP stress that sustained peace, safety and security are essential to enable people to return to their farms, businesses and communities and to begin rebuilding their lives. The continued flow of lifesaving humanitarian assistance along all corridors through Jordan, Israel and Egypt, and via crossings in the north and south, is also essential to recovery in Gaza. The agencies are also calling for the immediate provision of shelter materials, fuel, cooking gas and agricultural inputs via the private sector, as well as the expansion of commercial access to enable markets to recover and stabilize. They stress that restoring water, sanitation and health systems is critical to ensuring recovery, otherwise disease outbreaks risk eroding nutrition gains.

The agencies are appealing to the international community to scale up flexible and predictable funding for food and nutrition assistance, agricultural production, health care, water and sanitation services, and livelihood recovery programmes. With agencies’ current funding for Palestine fast running out, a failure to mobilize additional resources risks reversing hard-won gains and putting the lives of 2.1 million people in Gaza at further risk.

“Food security in Gaza cannot recover unless local food production starts again and farmers, herders, fishers and other producers can rebuild their livelihoods,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. “Producers need access to farmland and the sea, and to seeds, tools, livestock supplies and other agricultural inputs, as well as technical support. Restrictions on agricultural imports and humanitarian supplies must be lifted. Without these essentials, food production and security will remain a pressing situation.”

“There is progress on food security in Gaza, but it is fragile and can easily be reversed,” said Carl Skau, WFP’s Acting Executive Director. “The overall humanitarian situation remains brutal: families lack water, sanitation and medicine. We need sustained access, funding and stability so people of Gaza can begin recovery.”

“Acute malnutrition has fallen, but many children are still going hungry, and some children may never fully recover from prolonged lack of proper nutrition,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “This progress shows that when humanitarian access improves and aid gets through, children can be pulled back from the brink. But it rests on a supplementary feeding program that doesn’t reach all children, and where funding is running out. Without sustained access and funding, these gains could be lost within months.”

#                 #                   #

Note to editors:

Broadcast quality video footage can be accessed here.

High resolution photos can be accessed here.

Food insecurity and malnutrition classifications: The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is the global reference for measuring and classifying the severity of food insecurity and child malnutrition. It uses five phases to describe the severity of acute food insecurity and malnutrition:

Phase	Classification	Description
Phase 1	None/Minimal	Households are able to meet essential food and non-food needs without engaging in atypical or unsustainable strategies to access food and income.
Phase 2	Stressed	Households have minimally adequate food consumption and can meet essential non-food expenditures without engaging in stress-coping strategies.
Phase 3	Crisis	Households either have food consumption gaps reflected by above-usual acute malnutrition or are marginally able to meet minimum food needs only by depleting essential livelihood assets or using crisis-coping strategies.
Phase 4	Emergency	Households either have large food consumption gaps reflected in high acute malnutrition and excess mortality or are able to mitigate large food consumption gaps only by employing emergency livelihood strategies and liquidating assets.
Phase 5	Catastrophe	Households have an extreme lack of food and/or are unable to meet other basic needs even after fully employing coping strategies. Starvation, death, destitution and extremely critical acute malnutrition levels are evident. Catastrophe refers to populations or households in, or projected to reach, this level of food insecurity.
Phase 5	Famine	For a Famine classification, an area must have extreme critical levels of malnutrition and mortality.

IPC AMN Phase	Classification	Malnutrition Prevalence	Description
Phase 1	Acceptable	<5%	Acute malnutrition is at relatively low levels and not considered a major public health concern. Most children have adequate nutritional status.
Phase 2	Alert	5.0-9.9%	Acute malnutrition is above normal levels and warrants close monitoring and preventive action to stop deterioration.
Phase 3	Serious	10.0-14.9%	Acute malnutrition has reached a serious public health level. Significant numbers of children are malnourished and require expanded nutrition interventions.
Phase 4	Critical	15.0-29.9%	Acute malnutrition is at critically high levels. Child illness and mortality risks are elevated, requiring urgent, large-scale nutrition and food security responses.
Phase 5	Extremely Critical	≥30%	Acute malnutrition is at an extremely critical level, with exceptionally high risks to children’s health and survival. Immediate, comprehensive action is required.

Source: World Food Programme

The 2026 edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) also examines the cost of healthy diets

Rome – Global hunger declined for a third consecutive year in 2025, demonstrating that progress is possible. However, the improvements remain fragile, unevenly distributed and insufficient to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, according to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 (SOFI 2026) report, released on Tuesday by five United Nations specialized agencies.

The report estimates that 7.8 percent of the global population faced hunger in 2025, down from 8.1 percent in 2024 and 8.6 percent in 2022, confirming a sustained, albeit slow, improvement. This means that around 645 million people were affected by hunger in 2025, representing a reduction of nearly 14 million compared to 2024 and 43 million compared to 2022.

Despite global progress, recovery remains uneven across regions. Asia, together with Latin America and the Caribbean, has recorded steady improvements in recent years. In contrast, Africa is now home to approximately 309 million hungry people, compared with 292 million in Asia. Although Africa’s previously rising trend is beginning to stabilize, with the share of its population facing hunger decreasing from 20.3 percent in 2024 to 20.0 percent in 2025, the continent now has the highest number of hungry people in absolute terms amid a rapidly growing population.

Broader measures of food access tell a similar story. In 2025, an estimated 25.8 percent of the global population (around 2.1 billion people) experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, meaning they were at times forced to compromise on the quality or quantity of the food they ate. This is down from 27.1 percent in 2024 and 28.7 percent in 2020 – equivalent to nearly 86 million fewer people than in 2024 and 135 million fewer than in 2020, though still above pre-pandemic levels.

Regional disparities remain stark. More than half of Africa’s population (56.6 percent) faced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025, compared to 20.3 percent in Asia, 22.9 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 8.7 percent in Northern America and Europe. Food insecurity also continues to be more prevalent in rural areas than in peri-urban and urban areas, while women remain disproportionately affected, although the gender gap narrowed slightly in 2025.

Hunger projections in the context of the Middle East conflict

The annual report also offers updated hunger projections for the next five years in light of the conflict in the Middle East. Depending on the length of the impact of the crisis on food inflation – which is driven by higher energy and fertilizer prices – approximately 510 to 520 million people may still be facing hunger in 2030 (compared to the lower projection of 503 million in the pre-conflict scenario), with the global number of undernourished people expected to decrease by 20 percent. However, other potential disruptors, including the effects of weather extremes such as El Niño in 2026 and 2027, are not considered in these projections and could further compound these effects.

The report’s joint authors – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO) – warn that the 2026 Middle East conflict, along with weather extremes and the reductions in official development assistance and humanitarian funding, are threatening to undermine the progress made to end global hunger.

Slow progress on global nutrition targets

The report highlights that global progress on maternal and child nutrition also remains insufficient to meet international commitments, including the 2030 nutrition targets. 

Indicators such as child stunting, wasting, overweight, low birthweight and exclusive breastfeeding show only marginal improvements and progress is too slow to meet the targets. At the same time, anaemia among women aged 15 to 49 years is worsening, while the prevalence of adult obesity shows a steady increase – from 12.1 percent in 2012 to 16.2 percent in 2024 – contrary to the target of halting its rise by 2025. Only 30.8 percent of children aged 6 to 23 months worldwide consume a minimally diverse diet and 150 million children under five years of age are still stunted.

Progress again varies significantly across regions. The prevalence of child stunting is declining in Africa and is on track to meet the 2030 target in Asia, while exclusive breastfeeding rates are improving across all regions where data is available. However, nearly all regions are experiencing widening gaps in addressing anaemia among women, and child overweight is increasing rapidly in Oceania.

The cost of a healthy diet

This year’s SOFI report takes a closer look at the cost of a healthy diet – the average minimum expenditure required to obtain locally available foods that meet energy and most nutrient requirements. According to FAO and WHO, a healthy diet is one that is adequate, balanced, diverse, and moderate.

The report underscores that costs remain a major constraint to achieving SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), although lowering such costs alone will not be sufficient to improve dietary quality and nutrition outcomes.

In 2025, the average global cost of a healthy diet rose to 4.28 purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars per person per day, up from 3.44 PPP dollars in 2021 and 2.94 PPP dollars in 2017, with the highest levels recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean (4.91 PPP dollars). At the same time, the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet has declined – from 2.97 billion (37.4 percent of the global population) in 2021 to 2.69 billion (32.7 percent) in 2025. 

However, this trend masks significant regional disparities. In Africa, affordability worsened markedly, with 66.6 percent of the population unable to afford a healthy diet in 2025 – more than double the levels observed in Asia and in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Healthy diet costs vary widely across regions due to structural differences in agrifood systems. Animal source foods, fruits and vegetables account for the largest share of costs, while starchy staples contribute relatively little. Animal source foods are the largest contributor to the cost of a healthy diet in Africa, whereas vegetables represent the largest share in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Food value chains are a major determinant of prices. Post-farmgate activities account for 70 to 75 percent of what consumers pay, with up to 40 percent of total costs arising in processing, logistics and wholesale. Improving efficiency in these segments is therefore critical, particularly for lowering the cost of perishable, nutrient-rich foods.

Reducing the cost of a healthy diet requires context-specific policy responses that expand the supply of nutritious foods while lowering structural costs across agrifood value chains. This includes investments in infrastructure, research and development, irrigation and cold chains, alongside reforms in subsidies, trade facilitation and regulatory frameworks.

Targeted interventions that boost productivity, reduce losses and promote sustainable practices can simultaneously improve nutrition outcomes, strengthen resilience and support climate goals.

“The work that lies ahead over the years to 2030 is immense. However, a world in which a healthy diet is no longer out of reach for nearly one in three people is a world worth building,” the report argues.

What they said

FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu: “The report shows that progress is possible, but we must move faster. Ending hunger and making healthy diets affordable requires political commitment, sustained investment and enabling policies. Recent crises – from natural disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic to man-made disaster like hotspots of conflicts, the war in Ukraine, the Gaza crisis, and the recent Strait of Hormuz disruption – have demonstrated both the resilience of agrifood systems and the need to strengthen them further to better serve the world’s most vulnerable people, farmers and consumers.”

IFAD President, Alvaro Lario: “SOFI tells us that the cost of a healthy diet continues to rise and that nearly 2.7 billion people may still be unable to afford a healthy diet. Resilient value chains must be a central part of the answer. Our task now is to turn the evidence SOFI provides into investment – and to do so through partnership. Together, we can build the value chains, market systems and rural economies that make healthy food affordable for all.”

UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell: “Every child deserves the chance to grow and develop to their full potential, and this starts with access to nutritious, affordable food. This report is a stark reminder that food systems fail millions of children and families. Food, health, education and social protection must go hand in hand to protect the most vulnerable children and women from global shocks.”

WFP Acting Executive Director, Carl Skau: “Behind every number in this report is a family counting the cost of food. Conflict and climate shocks push them further beyond their means. We must continue working with partner agencies, governments and communities to build food systems that hold up under shock, so families can afford nutritious diets, even in times of crisis. We now need sustained investment to match the scale of the challenge.”

WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “While we welcome the clear progress we have made in reducing hunger, a healthy diet still remains unaffordable for one in three people globally. Obesity is rising and progress on maternal and child nutrition is stalling. But we know what works: policies that make healthy food the easy choice, promoting breastfeeding, front-of-pack labelling, taxing unhealthy products, and protecting children from harmful marketing. Healthy diets are not a luxury – they are the foundation of health and must be within everyone’s reach.”

Source: World Food Programme

Source: World Food Programme

Contact

Philippe Kropf, WFP/Sudan (English), Tel. +249 912 17 4385

Mohamed Elamin, WFP/Sudan (Arabic), Tel. +249 912 12 8974

Gemma Snowdon, WFP/Nairobi, Mob. +39 347 382 3210

Martin Rentsch, WFP/Berlin, Mob +49 160 99 26 17 30

Rene McGuffin, WFP/ Washington Mob. +1 771 245 4268

Nicola Kelly, WFP/London, Mob +44 (0)796 8008 474