The global food crisis is affecting millions of people around the world. In 2023, record levels of acute food insecurity persist due to protracted food crises and new shocks. In 48 countries, 238 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity – 10% more than in 2022.5

The Global Report on Food Crises (GFRC) 2023, in its mid-year update confirms the disheartening reality of the world's food crisis. As conflicts, economic shocks, and extreme weather events continue to wreak havoc alongside persisting vulnerabilities, millions of people continue to suffer from hunger and malnutrition.

NAIROBI – Millions of people in the Horn of Africa are trapped in a hunger emergency as the region lurches from crisis to crisis: the longest drought in recorded history has given way to rains and flash flooding, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned today. Food and energy prices remain stubbornly high and the impact of the conflict in Sudan reverberates around the region.

“Conflict, climate extremes and economic shocks: the Horn of Africa region is facing multiple crises simultaneously. After five consecutive failed rainy seasons, flooding has replaced drought, killing livestock, damaging farmland, and further shattering livelihoods,” said Michael Dunford, WFP Regional Director for Eastern Africa. “And now the outbreak of conflict in Sudan is forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.”

When the region’s long-awaited rains arrived in March, they should have brought some relief. But instead, flash flooding inundated homes and farmland, washed away livestock, and closed schools and health facilities. Yet more people were forced from their homes: 219,000 people in southern Somalia, where 22 people were also killed.

The last three years of drought has left more than 23 million people across parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia facing severe hunger. Mortality and malnutrition rates remain unacceptably high. Consecutive failed harvests and high transport costs have pushed food prices far beyond the reach of millions in the region. A food basket in Eastern Africa in March 2023 cost 40 percent more than a year ago. In Ethiopia, fuel prices have almost doubled in a year.  

It will take years for the region to recover, and humanitarian assistance is a lifeline. Yet limited humanitarian resources are being stretched further still by the conflict in Sudan, which has sent over 250,000 people fleeing into neighbouring countries such as Ethiopia and South Sudan where Food Insecurity is already desperately high.

Last year, WFP and partners launched a rapid scale up of life-saving assistance in drought-hit Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia which helped to keep famine at bay in Somalia. But now WFP is facing a funding crunch and is being forced to scale back assistance.

“WFP’s rapid expansion of life-saving assistance helped prevent famine in Somalia in 2022. But despite the emergency being far from over, funding shortfalls are already forcing us to reduce assistance to those who still desperately need it. Without sustainable funding for both emergency and climate adaptation solutions, the next climate crisis could bring the region back to the brink of famine,” said Dunford.

By the end of 2022, WFP was distributing food assistance to a record 4.7 million people in Somalia. But in April, funding shortfalls forced WFP to reduce this to 3 million people. Without additional funds, WFP will have to further reduce the emergency food assistance caseload in Somalia to just 1.8 million by July. This means that almost 3 million people will not receive support, despite their continuing needs.

WFP urgently requires US$810 million over the next six months to keep life-saving assistance going and invest in long-term resilience in the Horn of Africa.

Global food crisis: what you need to know in 2023

The global food crisis is affecting millions of people around the world.

In 2023, record levels of Acute Food Insecurity persist due to protracted food crises and new shocks. In 48 countries, 238 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity – 10% more than in 2022.

How is the EU reacting to this alarming trend? What are the main drivers of these crises and the countries affected?

According to the Mid-Year Update of the Global Report on Food Crises, there are currently at least 238 million acutely food insecure people around the world, with a 10% increase on the 2022 figure.

How is the EU helping?

The EU is at the forefront of fighting global hunger. The European Commission is a member of the Food Assistance Convention and commits to providing a minimum of €350 million annually to alleviate food insecurity.

In 2022, the EU largely exceeded this commitment already allocating approximately €1 billion for humanitarian food assistance and nutrition, which accounted for more than 1/3 of the EU’s total humanitarian budget.

The drivers of food crises are interlinked and mutually reinforcing. Food insecurity is caused by a combination of factors that feed off each other and by the interaction between hazards and people specific vulnerabilities.

The main drivers are:

Conflict: it remains the main driver of food insecurity in 2023. Conflict disrupts income sources and hinders food access due to market disruptions, leading to price spikes and food shortages. In addition, it affects the delivery of humanitarian aid, and warring parties intentionally deny access to food as a weapon of war.

Economic shocks: they are a prominent driver of hunger, exacerbated by repercussions of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The economic resilience of poor countries has dramatically decreased, and they now face extended recovery periods and less ability to cope with future shocks.

Weather extremes: droughts, floods, dry spells, storms, cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons, or the untimely start of rainy seasons remain key drivers of food insecurity. They directly impact crops and livestock, disrupt transportation routes, and hinder market stocking. Many countries are still recovering from the prolonged effects of droughts or floods.