Nigeria tops global hunger hotspots in 2026 as aid cuts deepen crisis – Report

Nigeria has emerged as the top hunger hotspot in 2026, with nearly 32 million people facing acute food insecurity, as humanitarian aid cuts continue to deepen the crisis, according to a new report by Action Against Hunger.

The 2026 Global Hunger Hotspots report, released Wednesday, placed Nigeria at the top of a list of 10 most critical countries to watch in 2026, accounting for two-thirds of the world’s acutely food-insecure population. The country is followed by Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, each with 25.6 million people in crisis-level hunger.

Others are; Bangladesh (23.6 million), Ethiopia (22 million), Yemen (16.7 million), Afghanistan (15.8 million), Myanmar (14.4 million), Pakistan (11.8 million), and Syria (9.2 million).

The report integrated data from the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI 2025) and the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC 2025).

“What we’re witnessing is an unprecedented convergence of crises,” Charles Owubah, CEO of Action Against Hunger, said.

Read also: UN says 35 million Nigerians risk hunger after global funding collapse

“Armed conflict, climate disasters, economic collapse, and now devastating cuts to humanitarian funding are creating a perfect storm that threatens to push millions more people into famine. The international community must act now to prevent a catastrophe of historic proportions,” Owubah added.

The report documented that nearly 30 million children across the 13 analysed contexts suffer from acute malnutrition, with approximately 8.5 million severely malnourished and at elevated risk of death without timely treatment.

At least 13 million pregnant or breastfeeding women are also malnourished, with consequences likely to be passed on to their children.

The report, however, noted that humanitarian response is being severely hampered by a global funding crisis, with a 65 percent shortfall in funding for hunger-related programs.

The United States announced an 83 percent cut to humanitarian programmes worldwide, followed by significant cuts from Germany, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

“These funding cuts are not just numbers on a spreadsheet, they represent children who will die from preventable malnutrition, families who will be forced to skip meals, and communities pushed beyond their breaking point,” Michelle Brown, associate director of Advocacy for Action Against Hunger, said.

The report recommended integration of climate adaptation into all food security and agricultural national budgets, plans and policies; a focus on women and children, particularly the critical first 1,000 days;

And adequate, flexible, and multi-sectoral funding for humanitarian response.