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What is the Global Report on Food Crises?

The GRFC is the reference document for a comprehensive analysis of global, regional and country-level acute food insecurity. The result of a collaborative effort among 16 partners, the report aims to inform humanitarian and development action by providing independent and consensus-based evidence and analysis.

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The foundation of the GRFC: an evidence-based public good

A strong partnership

A highly consultative process

A compilation of multiple consensus-based food security and nutrition analyses

A technical document of reference on food crises

Required citation
When citing the GRFC 2024, please always include this link: www.fsinplatform.org/grfc2024

Countries/territories included in the GRFC 2024

The GRFC follows a rigorous process to identify food-crisis countries/territories through the application of multiple, agreed-upon criteria. For more information, please refer to the GRFC Technical Notes .
GRFC geo coverage on world map
Countries/ territories that require external assistance for food and/or faced shocks as assessed by FAO-GIEWS in 2023.
Low or upper/lower-middle-income countries/territories not selected for analysis by FAO-GIEWS, but who either: requested external assistance in response to experiencing a shock or shocks to food security from conflict/insecurity, weather extremes and/or economic shocks; had an influx of refugees; or had over one million or 20% of the country population forcibly displaced.
Countries that have a Humanitarian Appeal/ Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP).
Refugee populations (colour coding as legend)

Chapter 1

Global Overview

experienced high levels of acute food insecurity requiring urgent food and livelihood assistance.

Numbers of people and share of analysed population in GRFC countries/territories facing high levels of acute food insecurity 2016-2023.

In the graph, the orange bars show that the numbers of people facing these conditions have been increasing every year since 2019. The graph also shows that the total population analysed has increased each year since 2020. It shows that the share of the analysed population facing high levels of acute food insecurity increased sharply from 14 percent in 2018 to more than 20 percent each year since 2020, reaching an eight-year high in 2022 (23 percent).

Acute food insecurity overview, 2023

The three maps below show different levels of information. You can move through them by clicking on the tabs.
Number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity in 59 countries/territories, 2023
The map below is interactive, and you can discover more information at the country level by clicking on the countries.
< 1 million
1-2.9 million
3-4.9 million
5-9.9 million
10-15 million
> 15 million
Data not meeting GRFC technical requirements
Data gap
Country not selected for analysis
Migrants/refugee populations (colour coding as this key)
Source: FSIN, GRFC 2024.
Share of analysed population facing high levels of acute food insecurity in 59 countries/territories, 2023
The map below is interactive, and you can discover more information at the country level by clicking on the countries.
< 10 percent
10–24.99 percent
25–49.99 percent
≥50 percent
Data not meeting GRFC technical requirements
Data gap
Country not selected for analysis
Indicates migrants/refugee populations (colour coding as this key)
Source: FSIN, GRFC 2024.
Why were an additional 23.8 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity between 2022 and 2023?
The map below is interactive, and you can discover more information at the country level by clicking on the countries.
Percentage change in number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity
< -15%
-1% to -14.99%
1% to 14.99%
>15%
<1% change/same peak for 2022 and 2023
Non comparable data due to
Increase in coverage/new countries
Decrease in coverage/change in methodology
Data gap/data not meeting GRFC technical requirements
Country not selected for analysis
Indicates migrants/refugee populations (colour coding as this key)

Source: FSIN, GRFC 2024.

Severity of acute food insecurity, 2023

Out of 281.6 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity, around 203 million were in 41 countries/territories with IPC/CH analyses and had data disaggregated by phase. The other 79 million were in 18 countries with FEWS NET, HNO or WFP CARI data with no phase disaggregation.

Households have an extreme lack of food and/or other basic needs. Starvation, death, destitution and extremely critical acute malnutrition levels are evident.

Households have large food consumption gaps resulting in very high acute malnutrition and excess mortality OR face extreme loss of livelihood assets OR resort to emergency coping strategies.

Households have food consumption gaps with high or above usual acute malnutrition OR accelerated depletion of livelihoods assets OR resort to crisis coping strategies.

Drivers of acute food insecurity

The drivers of food crises are interlinked and mutually reinforcing. Acute food insecurity is rarely driven by a single shock or hazard, but rather by the interaction between shocks and underlying poverty, structural weaknesses and other vulnerability factors. Still, it is possible to identify a primary driver for each country/territory.

Nutrition overview

Acute malnutrition among children and women in food-crisis countries continued to worsen in 2023, particularly among displaced populations and those affected by conflicts.

Displacement overview

New, escalating and protracted conflicts, extreme climatic events and economic hardship resulted in another year of increasing numbers of people forced to flee their homes in 2023.

Chapter 2

Regional overviews

Region

Central and Southern Africa

Included countries:

49.6M

people or 21% of the analysed population faced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023 in 13 countries.

10.1M

forcibly displaced people in 13 food-crisis countries in 2023 - consisting of 8.9 million IDPs and 1.2 million refugees and asylum-seekers.

3.9M

acutely malnourished children in five food-crisis countries with 1.2 million of them suffering the most severe form of wasting.

Drivers of acute food insecurity

CONFLICT / INSECURITY
Intensified conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, ongoing insecurity in northern and southeastern areas of Central African Republic and deteriorating insecurity in parts of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, continued to displace households, reduce participation in agricultural activities and disrupt trade and market access.
WEATHER EXTREMES
The various weather shocks across the region - including tropical storms, cyclones and severe drought, exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon - resulted in mixed harvests, which were poor in parts of southern Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique and southern Malawi.
ECONOMIC SHOCKS
In most countries, currency weakness with consequent increases in fuel and transport costs, pushed up food prices and limited the transmission of lower international cereal prices to domestic markets.

Drivers of malnutrition

LACK OF FOOD
Limited access and availability of nutritious foods during the lean season significantly contributed to malnutrition in five countries analysed by IPC AMN. Pockets of conflict/insecurity in Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mozambique led to high acute malnutrition among displaced populations.
Inadequate services
Water scarcity in drought-affected areas and Cyclone Freddy damage in Malawi and Mozambique devastated infrastructure and exacerbated cholera outbreaks. In parts of Democratic Republic of the Congo, acute malnutrition was severe due to isolation, poor hygiene and inadequate health services.
Inadequate practices
Poor feeding practices contributed to malnutrition in Madagascar's Grand-Sud regions and Mozambique's Cabo Delgado, while in United Republic of Tanzania, a low share of children received a Minimum Acceptable Diet. In eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic, high breastfeeding rates and nutrition interventions helped mitigate malnutrition.
Number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity in 13 countries in 2023 The map below is interactive, and you can discover more information at the country level by clicking on the countries.
<1.0 million
1–2.99 million
3–4.99 million
5–9.99 million
10–14.99 million
≥15 million
Not selected for analysis
Data not meeting GRFC technical requirements/population not analysed
Major food crisis
Refugee populations (colour coding as legend)
Source: IPC TWGs; FEWS NET (Zimbabwe and Angola); WFP CARI (Congo).
Share of analysed populations facing high levels of acute food insecurity, 2023

Region

East Africa

Included countries:

Additional countries of concern:

64.2M

people or 24% of the analysed population faced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023 in eight countries.

20.7M

forcibly displaced people by 2023 - consisting of 15.9 million IDPs and 4.8 million refugees and asylum-seekers.

12.1M

children were acutely malnourished with 3 million of them suffering the most severe form in eight countries.

Drivers of acute food insecurity

WEATHER EXTREMES
The return of rainfall to most areas of the Horn of Africa began to ease the impacts of the historic drought, but its lingering damage coupled with flooding in late 2023 impacted food access and availability.
CONFLICT / INSECURITY
The rapidly escalating conflict in the Sudan from April 2023 drove a devastating food and displacement crisis, while armed clashes in parts of Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan also undermined acute food security and nutrition outcomes in the region.
ECONOMIC SHOCKS
Inflationary pressures receded slightly in 2023, but the cost of living across the region remained high. Food prices were above pre-COVID-19 levels given the upward pressure from reduced food availability and high fuel prices inflating production and transportation costs of food and non-food items.

Drivers of malnutrition

LACK OF FOOD
Weather extremes, conflicts and macroeconomic issues limited food access and availability, particularly in the Sudan, affecting dietary intake. In pastoral areas of northern Kenya, Somalia and southern Ethiopia, low milk availability affected children's nutrition. Disruptions to humanitarian aid in Ethiopia and the Sudan likely exacerbated these conditions.
Inadequate services
Inadequate water and sanitation led to a surge of cholera, measles, and malaria outbreaks, mostly in Ethiopia and Kenya, due to floods associated with El Niño. Conflicts disrupted healthcare and impeded infrastructure repairs, notably in the Sudan, weighing on already-fragile health systems.
Inadequate practices
Suboptimal breastfeeding and a low share of children aged 6-23 months receiving a Minimum Acceptable Diet were registered across the region, with Extremely Critical levels in Burundi, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda's Karamoja and Ethiopia's Tigray regions.
Number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity in eight countries in 2023 The map below is interactive, and you can discover more information at the country level by clicking on the countries.
<1.0 million
1–2.99 million
3–4.99 million
5–9.99 million
10–14.99 million
≥15 million
Not selected for analysis
Data not meeting GRFC technical requirements/population not analysed
Data gap
Major food crisis
Refugee populations (colour coding as legend)
Sources: IPC TWGs; FEWS NET (Ethiopia and Uganda).
Share of analysed populations facing high levels of acute food insecurity, 2023

Region

West Africa

and the Sahel

Included countries:

Additional countries of concern:

44.3M

people or 11% of the analysed population faced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023 in 14 countries.

9.7M

forcibly displaced people in 13 food-crisis countries in 2023 - consisting of 7.5 million IDPs and 2.2 million refugees and asylum-seekers.

14.0M

acutely malnourished children in 14 food-crisis countries with 3.9 million of them suffering the most severe form of wasting.

Drivers of acute food insecurity

CONFLICT / INSECURITY
Protracted conflict/insecurity in parts of Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, the Niger and Nigeria persisted and even intensified in 2023, leading to widespread internal and cross-border displacements, disrupting traditional agricultural practices, pastoral transhumance, and the functioning of markets and trade.
ECONOMIC SHOCKS
Macroeconomic difficulties continued to translate into currency depreciation, high levels of inflation, reduced fiscal capacity to provide food and livelihood assistance as well as reduced income-generating opportunities for households in 2023. Economic and political sanctions in certain countries, contributed to market disruptions, resulting in shortages of goods, and increased food prices.
WEATHER EXTREMES
Although weather conditions were favourable in most parts of the region, localized erratic rains, floods and cumulative rainfall deficits affected crops and pastoral resources in certain countries, notably in Chad, the Niger and Nigeria.

Drivers of malnutrition

LACK OF FOOD
Conflicts in the Sahel and soaring food prices constrained food access and availability, exacerbating malnutrition. Women and children’s nutrition was undermined by limited humanitarian access and displacement, while lost livelihoods and inflated food costs hindered access to essential foods for vulnerable groups.
Inadequate services
Health care and nutrition access is severely restricted in conflict-affected areas, with many rural health centers non-functional. Displacements strain available health-care services. Additionally, poor WASH services and prevalent diseases significantly drive acute malnutrition across the Sahel.
Inadequate practices
Extremely Critical levels of children receiving a Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD) were reported in Nigeria's Northeast states, the Niger, Sierra Leone, Mali and Guinea. Poor nutritional practices and high anaemia levels exacerbate the situation, with a nutritious diet costing over three times more than a calorie-sufficient one.
Number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity in 14 countries in 2023 The map below is interactive, and you can discover more information at the country level by clicking on the countries.
<1.0 million
1–2.99 million
3–4.99 million
5–9.99 million
10–14.99 million
≥15 million
Not selected for analysis
Data not meeting GRFC technical requirements/population not analysed
Data gap
Major food crisis
Refugee populations (colour coding as legend)
Source: Cadre Harmonisé.
Share of analysed populations facing high levels of acute food insecurity, 2023

Region

Asia

Included countries:

Additional countries of concern:

59.8M

people or 30% of the analysed population faced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023 in five countries.

11.8M

forcibly displaced people in four countries by 2023 - consisting of 8.7 million IDPs and 3.2 million refugees and asylum-seekers.

5.4M

acutely malnourished children in two countries with 1.5 million of them suffering the most severe form.

Drivers of acute food insecurity

ECONOMIC SHOCKS
Headline inflation was persistently high in Pakistan, Myanmar and Bangladesh throughout 2023, while Afghanistan and Sri Lanka experienced deflationary trends. However, in Afghanistan, economic shocks – characterized by stagnant wages, widespread unemployment, reduced public spending, the effects of women being banned from the workplace and decreased remittances – were the primary driver of acute food insecurity.
WEATHER EXTREMES
Flooding in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka caused widespread crop losses, disrupted livelihoods and drove mass displacement, while Afghanistan felt the effects of a third year of drought, which contributed to a 30–35 deficit in wheat production.
CONFLICT / INSECURITY
The security situation in Myanmar deteriorated throughout 2023 with a serious escalation in violence from late October 2023, precipitating an increase in displacements and further limiting humanitarian access to communities.

Drivers of malnutrition

LACK OF FOOD
Poor food quality and availability exacerbated malnutrition during Afghanistan and Pakistan's winter lean seasons. In Myanmar, intensified fighting in late 2023 hindered market access, affected crops and increased food prices. In Bangladesh, ration cuts for Rohingya refugees heightened malnutrition risks, especially among vulnerable groups.
Inadequate services
In Afghanistan, water scarcity and a weakened health system exacerbated child malnutrition. Floods and infrastructure damage in Pakistan and inadequate waste management in Cox's Bazar contributed to disease outbreaks and strained health services. In Myanmar, conflict limited availability of health services.
Inadequate practices
In Afghanistan and Pakistan, only a small fraction of children aged 6-23 months received a Minimum Acceptable Diet, posing a high risk for acute malnutrition. In Afghanistan, just 16% met this dietary threshold, with even lower levels in rural areas than urban.
Number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity in five countries in 2023 The map below is interactive, and you can discover more information at the country level by clicking on the countries.
<1.0 million
1–2.99 million
3–4.99 million
5–9.99 million
10–14.99 million
≥15 million
Not selected for analysis
Data not meeting GRFC technical requirements/population not analysed
Data gap
Major food crisis
Refugee populations (colour coding as legend)
Source: IPC TWGs; WFP CARI (Sri Lanka).
Share of analysed populations facing high levels of acute food insecurity, 2023

Region

Latin America

and the Caribbean

Included countries:

Additional countries of concern:

19.7M

people or 17% of the analysed population faced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023 in nine countries.

12.0M

people forcibly displaced in five countries by 2023 - consisting of 7.3 million IDPs and 4.8 million migrants and refugees.

0.3M

children were acutely malnourished in Haiti, 0.1 million of them suffering the most severe form of wasting.

Drivers of acute food insecurity

WEATHER EXTREMES
Weather extremes were a more prominent driver than in 2022 due to El Niño, which resulted in erratic and reduced rainfall, higher-than-normal temperatures and reduced crop yields in some areas of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador’s and Nicaragua's Dry Corridor.
ECONOMIC SHOCKS
Reduced income opportunities and increasing food prices eroded households' purchasing power, especially for the region’s large migrant and refugee populations who typically face integration challenges and rely on daily wages from the informal sector.
CONFLICT / INSECURITY
In Haiti, gang violence in urban areas, disrupted markets and the movement of people and goods, severely hindering economic activity and the provision of basic services. This resulted in poor market supplies and shortages of essential commodities, including fuel, which contributed to sharp increases in food prices.

Drivers of malnutrition

Lack of food
High levels of acute food insecurity, mostly due to low purchasing power of migrants in Colombia and limited access to markets and income opportunities in Haiti, were the main contributory factors to acute malnutrition.
Inadequate services
In Haiti, insecurity hindered access to health, nutrition and WASH services. Many households lack safe water and basic sanitation, particularly in rural areas and in Cité du Soleil. Suspected cholera cases emerged, primarily in Port-au-Prince, with insecurity and fuel shortages complicating relief efforts.
Inadequate practices
In Haiti, Critical levels of exclusive breastfeeding and Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD) were registered. Among migrants and refugee children and pregnant women in Colombia, high anaemia levels are concerning. Only 43% of infants were exclusively breastfed, and 24% of older infants received a Minimum Acceptable Diet.
Number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity in nine countries in 2023 The map below is interactive, and you can discover more information at the country level by clicking on the countries.
<1.0 million
1–2.99 million
3–4.99 million
5–9.99 million
10–14.99 million
≥15 million
Not selected for analysis
Data not meeting GRFC technical requirements/population not analysed
Major food crisis
Refugee populations (colour coding as legend)
Sources: FEWS NET (Nicaragua); IPC TWGs (Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras); HNO (Colombia); HRP (El Salvador); WFP CARI (migrant and refugee populations in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru).
Share of analysed populations facing high levels of acute food insecurity, 2023

Region

Middle East

and North Africa

Included countries/territories:

Additional countries of concern:

36.7M

people or 54% of the analysed population faced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023 in nine countries/territories

22.2M

people forcibly displaced in nine countries/territories by 2023 - consisting of 12.3 million IDPs and 9.9 million refugees and asylum-seekers

0.8M

acutely malnourished children under 5 years with 0.2 million of them suffering the most severe form of acute malnutrition in two countries.

Drivers of acute food insecurity

CONFLICT / INSECURITY
The devastation brought by relentless hostilities, besiegement, mass displacement, destruction of infrastructure indispensable to survival and severely restricted humanitarian access drove a catastrophic food crisis in Palestine (Gaza Strip). Conflict/insecurity was the primary driver in Yemen, in four countries hosting Syrian refugees (Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and Türkiye) due to the 12-year conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, and in Algeria, which hosts conflict-affected Sahrawi refugees.
ECONOMIC SHOCKS
Widespread unemployment, high inflation and economic instability have left vulnerable populations across all countries in the region struggling to meet basic needs, including food. Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic, in particular, remained mired in deep financial crises, with high depreciation of their local currencies continuing to contribute to soaring inflation.
Natural disaster
In February 2023, the earthquakes in southeastern Türkiye and Northwest Syrian Arab Republic uprooted hundreds of thousands of families, and severely damaged infrastructure. Many families lost their main breadwinner due to death or injury, increasing the vulnerability of millions of people previously unable to meet their basic needs.

Drivers of malnutrition

LACK OF FOOD
In Palestine (Gaza Strip), nearly all households were skipping meals daily, with many in northern areas fasting for whole days. Adults often eat less so children can eat, putting pregnant women at high risk of malnutrition. In Lebanon, 85 000 children under 5 years old faced extreme food poverty, subsisting on poor diets limited to cereals and occasionally milk.
INADEQUATE SERVICES
In the Gaza Strip, water and hygiene shortages escalated communicable diseases amid a struggling health-care system. Conflict and low immunization coverage in Yemen and water shortages in the Syrian Arab Republic increased disease risks. In Lebanon, an exodus of medical staff and non-operational wastewater facilities are exacerbating health issues.
INADEQUATE PRACTICES
High displacement in conflict zones have reduced mothers' caregiving capacity. In Yemen, only 20% of infants are exclusively breastfed, with a critical 11.5% of older infants getting a Minimum Acceptable Diet. The Syrian Arab Republic and Lebanon report alarmingly low rates of adequate child-feeding.
Number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity in nine countries/territories in 2023 The map below is interactive, and you can discover more information at the country level by clicking on the countries.
<1.0 million
1–2.99 million
3–4.99 million
5–9.99 million
10–14.99 million
≥15 million
Not selected for analysis
Data not meeting GRFC technical requirements/population not analysed
Data gap
Major food crisis
Refugee populations (colour coding as legend)
Source: IPC TWGs; WFP CARI.
Share of analysed populations facing high levels of acute food insecurity, 2023

Focus

The Gaza Strip, Palestine

By late 2023, besiegement, mass displacement, destruction of infrastructure indispensable to survival and severely restricted humanitarian access drove the Gaza Strip to become the most severe food crisis in IPC and GRFC history. Its entire population of about 2.2 million people faced high levels of acute food insecurity.

Between early December 2023 and early February 2024, 26 percent of the population were estimated to be in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5), rising to half by March 2024. Famine was considered imminent in the governorates of Gaza and North Gaza, with a risk of Famine across the rest of the Gaza Strip through July 2024.

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Conflict in the Sudan

Heavy fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023 has had devastating consequences across the Sudan and in neighbouring countries including Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The humanitarian situation is dire. The country has become the largest food crisis in East Africa and the world’s biggest internal displacement situation. Millions of people among the displaced and host communities, especially women and children, are experiencing severe access constraints to basic goods and services, including food, water and shelter, with profound and prolonged impacts on their food security and nutrition.

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Acute food insecurity and displacement

New, escalating and protracted conflicts, extreme climatic events and economic shocks resulted in another year of increasing numbers of people forced to flee their homes in 2023. In 59 food-crisis countries/territories, the number of displaced people reached over 90 million, most of them displaced internally (64 million) and the rest as refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants.

Available data paint a dire picture of acute food insecurity and malnutrition among displaced populations as they face specific vulnerabilities such as protection risks, limited access to employment, livelihoods, food and shelter, and reliance on dwindling humanitarian assistance. Without concerted action among governments and the international community to meet funding requirements, the situation will likely continue to deteriorate in 2024.

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The far-reaching impact of the war in Ukraine

Over 7 million people in Ukraine faced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023, which represents an improvement since 2022. While the Ukrainian economy stabilized somewhat in 2023, with positive shifts in real GDP growth and inflation, unemployment levels were the highest in over a decade and lack of livelihood opportunities hindered financial access to food and other necessities.

Ukraine's agrifood sector has suffered massive damage and losses that have negatively impacted crop and livestock activities within the country, as well as global markets.

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