A new report projects that nearly 60% of those chronically undernourished by 2030 will be on the continent

The UN has warned of a worsening hunger crisis in Africa, with its latest estimates on food insecurity suggesting that more than 1 billion people, or roughly two-thirds of the continent's population, were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2024.

The organization announced the findings in its State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI 2025) report released on Monday. Compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Food Program (WFP), and World Health Organization (WHO), it analyzed global trends in efforts to end hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition.

According to the report, an estimated 8.2% of the global population, or about 673 million people, experienced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5% in 2023 and 8.7% in 2022, in contrast to the rising hunger levels recorded in most of Africa and western Asia.

"The proportion of the population facing hunger in Africa surpassed 20 percent in 2024, affecting 307 million people," it stated.

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Projections indicate that nearly 60% of those who could be chronically undernourished by 2030 will be in Africa. A key concern is the rising number of people unable to afford a healthy diet, with Africa's figure increasing from 864 million in 2019 to over 1 billion in 2024, while the global total dropped from 2.76 billion to 2.6 billion.

"Hunger remains at alarming levels, yet the funding needed to tackle it is falling... This year, funding cuts of up to 40 percent mean that tens of millions of people will lose the vital lifeline we provide," WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said.

McCain cautioned that the failure to deliver essential aid to people in "desperate need" could undo hard-won progress and trigger further instability in volatile regions.

Last week, the WFP said it required $130 million to maintain aid operations in Nigeria, where over 30 million people are facing acute hunger.

FAO chief economist Maximo Torero said Africa's "concerning" situation is driven by inadequate agricultural production, population growth, violent conflict, and climate change setbacks.