Climate Crisis and Conflict Push Global Hunger to Alarming Levels

• Nov 23, 2024

The global hunger crisis is worsening, driven by climate change, conflict, and economic shocks. Between 3.1 billion and 4.2 billion people—nearly half the world’s population—now cannot afford a healthy diet, according to reports from the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Chronic hunger is affecting 309 million people across 71 countries, with escalating costs pushing more individuals into extreme poverty.

The WFP highlights that conflict remains the primary driver of hunger, affecting 70% of the world's food-insecure populations. War-torn regions, including Palestine and Ukraine, face severe humanitarian crises, while climate change exacerbates food insecurity, particularly in vulnerable areas. This year, record-breaking global temperatures have intensified droughts, damaging crops in some of the poorest regions, including Southern Africa. A third of countries in the region have declared states of disaster due to prolonged drought, with 68 million people urgently needing food aid. In Zimbabwe, maize production has halved, driving up food prices and leaving 2.7 million people struggling with hunger.

The FAO’s 2023 report reveals that 42% of the global population cannot afford basic nutritional requirements. Rising fertilizer costs, driven by the conflict in Ukraine, are further jeopardizing food production worldwide. The war has disrupted fertilizer supplies, pushing prices higher and threatening future harvests. These rising costs could escalate the current affordability crisis into a full-scale food availability crisis.

Climate change’s long-term impacts on food security are dire. Global agricultural productivity has already dropped by 20% since 1970 due to rising temperatures. In Africa, heat and water stress are projected to halve domestic food production in some countries by 2050, while populations grow rapidly. Similar trends are emerging in regions like South Asia, the Middle East, and Central America. Scientists warn that without immediate climate action, these pressures will spiral out of control, endangering billions.

Current global warming projections exceed the Paris Agreement’s targets, with temperatures likely to rise by at least 2°C by 2030. This increase threatens to collapse food systems, particularly in regions like the Caribbean, Western Asia, and Africa. Already, India has faced a rice crisis and collapsing tomato crops, demonstrating how climate impacts are triggering supply chain disruptions.

Addressing this crisis requires urgent global collaboration to combat climate change, stabilize food systems, and provide immediate humanitarian aid. The stakes are high: without swift action, hunger and poverty will continue to escalate, leaving millions more vulnerable.