Description

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Picture Courtesy: DOWNTOEARTH

Context

A report released by Action Against Hunger has placed Africa at the heart of an escalating global food crisis.

What is Action Against Hunger Report?

It is an annual publication detailing the global humanitarian organization's efforts to end hunger, malnutrition, and their root causes (conflict, climate change, poverty).

It integrates data from the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2025 and Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2025 reports.

The 2026 report reveals that a combination of conflict, climate change, and economic instability has created a 'perfect storm,' pushing millions to the brink of starvation and jeopardising the continent's development goals.

Highlights of the 2026 Report

Globally, 295 million people in 59 countries face acute food insecurity, the highest number recorded since 2016.
Africa's Burden: Four of the five countries with the highest hunger levels are in Africa.
Crisis Hotspots: Just four African nations—Nigeria, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Ethiopia—account for over 105 million people facing acute hunger, which is 53% of the total in the top 10 crisis hotspots.
Nigeria is now the global epicentre of the food crisis, with 31.8 million people facing acute food insecurity.

Key Drivers of the Food Crisis

Armed Conflict and Mass Displacement

Conflict remains the primary driver of hunger, destroying agricultural infrastructure, disrupting markets, and causing mass displacement, which makes populations entirely dependent on humanitarian aid.

Country	Key Conflict Driver	Impact on Food Security
Nigeria	Decade-long insurgency and widespread banditry in northern states.	Agriculture is crippled. In Borno state, 15,000 people face catastrophic hunger (IPC Phase 5).
Sudan	Civil war plunging the nation into one of the world's worst hunger emergencies.	Famine is confirmed in parts of Darfur. It has caused the world's highest internal displacement, with over 10 million people affected.
DRC	Decades of conflict in eastern provinces, despite immense agricultural potential.	25.6 million people are acutely food insecure.

Climate Change and Environmental Shocks

Climate change acts as a "threat multiplier," intensifying the food crisis. Extreme weather events like droughts and floods destroy livelihoods and trap communities in a cycle of poverty.

Case Study (Ethiopia): Climate volatility, including a severe 2020-2023 drought followed by destructive rain, devastated pastoralist communities in the Horn of Africa.

Economic Collapse and Fragile Governance

High inflation on essentials (food, fertilizer, fuel) stresses incomes. In conflict zones, failing public services (health, water) worsen disease and malnutrition vulnerability.

Humanitarian Funding Gaps

The international aid system is under severe strain due to funding cuts from donor nations. This has severely hampered the delivery of life-saving assistance.

Example (Nigeria): The UN's 2026 humanitarian plan for Nigeria can only target 2.5 million of the most vulnerable people, decreasing from 3.6 million in 2025, due to a cut in aid budgets.

Lessons and Best Practices for Intervention

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus (HDPN): A coordinated strategy for simultaneously implementing aid, long-term development, and peace-building (e.g., combining food aid with seeds/tools to restore local agriculture).

Community-Led Solutions: Programs are more effective and trustworthy when local leaders design them, ensuring aid reaches the needy.

Proactive Anticipatory Action: Using early warning systems to trigger interventions before a crisis peaks is a more efficient, life-saving strategy.

Recommendations made in the Report

Uphold International Law: Enforce UN Security Council Resolution 2417, which condemns the use of starvation as a weapon of war, and ensures unfettered humanitarian access.

Integrate Climate Action: Invest in climate-adapted agriculture, including drought-resistant crops and sustainable water management, to protect livelihoods.

Increase and Diversify Funding: Reverse cuts to humanitarian aid and adopt flexible, multi-sectoral funding that supports health, nutrition, water, and livelihood programs in addition to food aid.

Strengthen Local Systems: Empower local communities and support smallholder farmers to build resilient national food systems and address the root causes of conflict.

Conclusion

Africa's hunger crisis, a man-made challenge driven by conflict, climate change, and economic instability, demands immediate global action beyond short-term aid to address root causes through peace-building, climate adaptation, and strengthening local resilience.

Source: DOWNTOEARTH

Attempt Daily Quiz

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. "Climate change acts as a threat multiplier for food insecurity." Discuss. 150 words

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The main finding is that Africa is at the centre of a severe and escalating global food crisis, with Nigeria being the global epicentre. The report states that 295 million people globally face acute food insecurity, the highest number ever recorded by the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC).

The crisis is driven by a "perfect storm" of interconnected factors:

Armed Conflict: The single most significant driver, disrupting agriculture and displacing millions.
Climate Change: Extreme weather events like droughts and floods destroy livelihoods.
Economic Collapse: High inflation for food and essentials strains household budgets.

Humanitarian Funding Gaps: Drastic cuts in international aid limit the ability to respond.

The HDPN is an integrated approach which argues that humanitarian aid (short-term relief), development projects (long-term solutions), and peace-building initiatives must be planned and implemented together. The goal is to address the root causes of crises and build sustainable resilience, rather than just providing temporary assistance