The international organization’s press office published a release on Thursday stating that this analysis, jointly conducted with experts from the World Food Program (WFP), warns of the need for urgent humanitarian actions in those areas, where acute hunger is expected to worsen between November 2024 and May 2025.

The report, entitled “Hunger Hotspots – FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity” states it will increase in scale and severity in 22 countries and territories.

The two entities point out that wars, particularly in the Middle East, where Israeli attacks have killed more than 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza and nearly 3,000 others in Lebanon, add up to economic and climatic factors, such as the La Niña phenomenon, to “push millions to the brink of the abyss.”

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said “Peace is a prerequisite for food security. Without peace and stability, farmers cannot grow food, harvest, or sustain their livelihoods. Access to nutritious food is not just a basic need, it is a human right.

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