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According to the latest Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), more than a quarter of a billion people are affected by acute hunger and people in seven countries are on the brink of starvation.
The annual report, produced by the Food Security Information Network (FSIN), was launched today by the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC), an international alliance of the United Nations, the European Union, and governmental and non-governmental organizations working together to address food crises.
The report shows that in 2022, some 258 million people in 58 countries and territories were affected by acute food insecurity at crisis or even more serious levels, up from 193 million people in 53 countries and territories in 2021. 
This is the highest number in the report's seven-year history. However, much of this increase is due to an increase in the population considered. 

Key drivers are:

• Economic shocks: The economic resilience of poor countries has dramatically decreased over the past three years, and they now face extended recovery periods and less ability to cope with future shocks.
• Conflict/insecurity was the most significant driver in 19 countries/territories. Economic shocks surpassed conflict as the main driver of acute food insecurity in three countries still affected by protracted crises – Afghanistan, South Sudan, and the Syrian Arab Republic.
• Weather/Climate extremes were the primary driver of acute food insecurity in 12 countries. These extremes included sustained drought in the Horn of Africa, devastating flooding in Pakistan, and tropical storms, cyclones and drought in Southern Africa.

The international community has called for a paradigm shift towards better prevention, anticipation and targeting to address the root causes of food crises, rather than responding to their impacts when they occur.

This requires innovative approaches and more coordinated efforts by international organizations, governments, the private sector, regional organizations, civil society and communities.

Conflicts, national and global economic shocks and weather extremes continue to be increasingly intertwined, feeding into one another and creating spiralling negative effects on acute food insecurity and nutrition.

Background Information

Founded in 2016, the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) brings together the European Union, FAO, UNICEF, the United States of America, WFP and the World Bank in a unique partnership

Since 2016, the report has been providing a comprehensive global picture on the scale and magnitude of food crises by compiling the main global, regional and national food security analyses through a transparent and consensus-based process involving 16 international humanitarian and development partners, and aimed at informing and promoting timely, cost-efficient and need-based humanitarian, as well as resilience building actions.