By Abdullahi Lukman
Global hunger levels declined for the third consecutive year in 2024, according to a United Nations report, with improved food access in South America and India helping to offset rising malnutrition in parts of Africa and the Middle East.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, released by five UN agencies including the WHO, FAO, and WFP, found that 673 million people—8.2 percent of the global population—experienced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5 percent in 2023.
Despite this progress, the report warned that hunger levels remain higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, when the rate stood at 7.5 percent in 2019.
Significant improvements were recorded in South America, where hunger dropped from 4.2 percent in 2023 to 3.8 percent, and in southern Asia, where it declined from 12.2 percent to 11 percent, largely due to agricultural reforms, social programs, and new data from India showing increased access to healthy diets.
However, the situation in Africa remains dire. The report highlighted that more than 307 million Africans—over one in five people on the continent—were chronically undernourished in 2024.
Hunger in Africa is now more widespread than it was two decades ago, driven by population growth, conflict, climate shocks, and inflation.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking via video at a UN food summit in Ethiopia, warned that ongoing conflicts—including the war in Gaza—continue to fuel hunger globally.
The World Health Organization has described malnutrition in Gaza as “alarming,” following months of limited aid access due to an Israeli blockade, partially lifted in May.
Looking ahead, the UN projects that by 2030, around 512 million people may still be chronically undernourished globally, with nearly 60 percent of them in Africa.