A 2026 report from the Global Network Against Food Crises has given a devastating look at the reality of the hunger crisis across the world. The report outlines the biggest drivers of the hunger crisis, the countries worst affected, and the amount of people suffering malnutrition and food insecurity.
The findings in this report are difficult to read, but we remind ourselves that we respond as God calls us to; showing Jesus’ love to those in greatest need.
The hunger crisis
The extent of this crisis isn’t common knowledge. You might not see it in the news, but it’s affecting millions of people around the world. Last year, 266 million people in 47 countries and territories experienced high levels of acute food insecurity. That’s almost 23% of the analysed population – nearly double the proportion recorded ten years ago in 2016. Funding has also fallen to the rates seen ten years ago, severely limiting the ability of humanitarian aid agencies and governments to respond effectively.
Ten countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen – accounted for two-thirds of all people facing high levels of acute hunger.
The primary driver of the hunger crisis is conflict. Where we see conflict and war, we see communities cut off from basic supplies including food. This has significantly affected certain countries in terms of absolute numbers, including Afghanistan, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen.
What we’ve seen in Yemen
Tearfund works in all of these countries. We know that behind these numbers are real people. Real parents skipping meals to feed their family. Real children with empty stomachs and no energy to enjoy a care-free childhood. Real lives lost to malnutrition and starvation. Real people like Masud* in Yemen.
Masud was one of the 18 million people facing food insecurity in Yemen. Providing for his large family on a salary equalling around £155 a month drove him into debt just to cover the basic necessities.
But the ‘Mending lives, restoring hope’ project that was implemented by Tearfund’s partner in the area oversaw a six-month food distribution programme. This programme, made possible by Tearfund supporters, gave Masud’s family regular food supplies. This didn’t just feed his family; it gave Masud the stability to transform his life.
Masud had two goals: to repay his debts and to secure a dignified life for his children. Not wanting to rely on aid alone, he decided to return to his former trade of carpentry to earn extra income. With the food baskets provided to his family, Masud had the opportunity to establish himself in his carpentry trade. Within a few months, his debts were paid off and he regained the confidence and resources to support his family.
With Masud’s resilience and a small boost of humanitarian aid made possible by Tearfund supporters, the future for Masud and his family has been completely transformed.
How Tearfund is responding to the hunger crisis
Tearfund’s work in Yemen shows just one part of what we and partners are doing around the world every day. We’re led by Jesus’ love to go where the need is greatest. Working with local churches, our Transforming Communities training helps communities identify the resources God has given them to lift themselves out of extreme poverty. With training in things like sustainable and climate-smart agricultural practices, communities build long-term solutions to the specific challenges they face, like acute hunger and malnutrition.
Where immediate help is needed, our Life-Saving Assistance interventions provide emergency food, water, and medicine to people facing crisis from conflict, natural disaster, and other types of emergencies. Just as Masud in Yemen wanted to be self-sufficient and not rely on aid, we also provide people with seeds and farming tools to support lasting recovery and help communities build resilience to future emergencies.
Knowing that conflict is the primary driver of the hunger crisis and so many more issues, Tearfund is proactively working in communities with Peace-Building Programmes to reconcile conflicts and bring people together in spaces to share personal stories of hurt and loss. These programmes help people see each other as fellow human beings and have seen relationships transformed, lives rebuilt, and foundations for lasting peace developed.
*Name changed for security purposes
