Momentum builds in national school meals programmes
19/9/2025: At least 466 million children now receive school meals through government-led programmes worldwide - an increase of 20% over the past four years. A significant share of new commitments are coming from low income countries where the needs are highest.
Source: World Food Programme
Trends noted at the 2025 Africa Food Systems Forum
10/9/2025: The first gathering of African food systems experts since the US government withdrew most of its foreign aid funding ended with promising indications that the continent is trying to stimulate its own agricultural production with locally sourced financing
Source: Devex
Hunger monitor calls for immediate response as famine confirmed in Gaza
22/8/2025: The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Classification System has confirmed that famine exists in the Gaza Strip. Over half a million people are facing catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death. Through September conditions are expected to further worsen with famine projected to expand to a further 641,000 people.
Source: The New Humanitarian
Gaza: ‘No one should ever be forced to risk their life to find food’
1/8/2025: As Gaza faces famine-like conditions, more than 100 people have been killed, and hundreds of others injured, along food convoy routes and near Israeli-militarised distribution hubs in the past two days alone. Two hunger indicators now exceed the famine threshold, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Source: UN News
The number of hungry people worldwide is falling, says UN report
28/7/2025: Levels of global hunger are estimated to have dropped slightly each year since 2021, according to the 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report. However, the period covered by the report precedes cuts to foreign aid announced this year by Western donors.
Source: Devex
WFP airdrops food to prevent catastrophe in South Sudan
7/7/2025: The UN's World Food Programme is delivering emergency food assistance to South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, where surging conflict has forced families from their homes. More than one million people across Upper Nile are facing acute hunger, including over 32,000 people already experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger, on the brink of famine.
Source: World Food Programme
FEWS NET is back online
25/6/2025: The Famine Early Warning Systems Network is officially back, having been halted as the Trump administration slashed nearly all US foreign aid. Widely regarded as the world’s most reliable early warning system for food insecurity, FEWS NET is expected to shift fully to the US State Department in the coming weeks.
Source: Devex
UN food agencies warn of extreme hunger in five countries
16/6/2025: A new joint UN report warns that people in Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali face extreme hunger and risk of starvation and death in the coming months unless there is urgent humanitarian action.
Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization
The risk of famine looms in multiple Sudanese counties
16/6/2025: Compounded by the civil war the food security situation in Sudan has become the worst hunger crisis in the world today. The World Food Programme estimates that 24.6 million people, or half of the population, is acutely food insecure.
Source: Inter Press Service
China’s new pledge to curb illegal fishing
23/5/2025: China has joined the legally binding UN Agreement on Port State Measures and will be required to deny entry to vessels suspected of illegal activity. West Africa's fishing sector has been taken over by foreign-controlled vessels.
Source: Dialogue Earth