FAO, WFP warn hunger will worsen in 13 hotspots through November

FAO and the World Food Programme warned June 17 that acute hunger is expected to worsen across 13 crisis hotspots from June through November 2026. The agencies say the outlook could push some areas closer to famine if aid access and funding do not improve.

The most serious risks remain concentrated in Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen and the Gaza Strip. Nigeria and Somalia were newly added to the highest-concern group, with the warning pointing to northeast Nigeria’s Borno state and Somalia’s Burhakaba district. The remaining hotspots are Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Haiti, Mali, Lebanon and Madagascar.

What changed in the latest warning

The main change is not the existence of hunger, but its direction: conditions are worsening in places already under severe strain. AP and Reuters both reported that conflict and violence are driving most of the danger, with economic shocks, funding cuts and El Niño-related weather risks making it harder for families to cope.

In Gaza, the agencies said conditions improved somewhat after the October 2025 ceasefire but remain fragile. In Sudan, famine risk persists across several regions. In Yemen, the crisis remains among the world’s worst. The report also flags the risk of famine between now and November in Borno and Burhakaba.

Why this matters

When hunger worsens this quickly, displacement, instability and pressure on neighboring countries tend to rise too. The agencies say the response is being weakened by historic funding gaps, and they argue that early action is far cheaper than waiting until famine is underway.

For U.S. and other English-speaking readers, the immediate issue is not a direct food shortage at home. It is the wider humanitarian, diplomatic and migration pressure created when several major crises deteriorate at once.

Sources

• World Food Programme press release: new FAO/WFP hunger-hotspots report
• WFP/FAO Hunger Hotspots 2026 report PDF
• Associated Press: UN hunger hotspots warning
• Reuters via Investing.com: famine risk rises in hunger hotspots
• World Food Programme context feature on worsening hunger crisis