According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in 2025, 7.8% of the world's population faced hunger issues. Significant progress was observed in Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, while Africa recorded the worst indicators.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the average rate stood at 4.8%, representing 32 million individuals. This figure marks a continuous decrease since 2020, the pandemic period, when the percentage in this region was 6.1%.
The situation is described as extremely serious in Africa, where 20% of the population suffers from undernutrition, meaning chronic calorie deficiency, as detailed by the FAO in its annual report, titled 'The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World' (SOFI 2026).
Of the approximately 645 million people affected by hunger, almost half resided in Africa (309 million people). The remaining 292 million were located in Asia, and 32 million in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The UN agency noted that after the economic crisis following COVID-19, which affected about 688 million people in 2022, there was an improvement in the situation, although it has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
In 2015, when about 600 million people were hungry, the international community established, as part of its 'sustainable development goals' for 2030, the goal of eradicating hunger and ensuring that everyone had access to nutritious, sufficient, and healthy food.
Currently, the UN projects that between 510 and 520 million people will be undernourished in 2030, with more than half of this number being in Africa.
David Laborde, director of the FAO's agri-food economy division, stated that 'the center of gravity of hunger has shifted from Asia to Africa.' He commented that 25 years ago, China had a hunger problem that it managed to solve, and mentioned that India also faces challenges but is making great efforts to actively resolve them.
Laborde warned that despite factors such as international conflicts, climate change, and pandemics, food systems and farmers have shown resilience, but the absorption capacity of these systems is limited. He added that 'we do not have large-scale famines like those seen in the 1980s.'
Máximo Torero, FAO Chief Economist, considered that the reduction of global hunger for the third consecutive year indicates that it is 'possible to advance.' However, he warned that the progress remains 'insufficient' to meet the 2030 Agenda.
Torero declared in a statement that 'improvements remain fragile, unevenly distributed, and insufficient to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Progress must be accelerated.' The report predicts that even with the projected continuous reduction, there will still be more than 500 million hungry people worldwide in 2030, with about 56% of them in Africa.
The 70th edition of the Food Security Monitor indicates that approximately 18% of Mozambique's population is in a food insecurity situation classified as Phase 3 or higher, according to the Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC).
IPC Phase 3, termed 'Crisis', describes scenarios where families face great difficulty accessing food or can only meet their basic needs using methods that harm their future livelihood capacity.
This report was prepared by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), an African entity that collaborates with governments, research centers, the private sector, and development partners to increase agricultural productivity, improve food systems, and strengthen food security on the continent.
Of the 14 Southern African countries examined in the document, Mozambique ranks fifth with the largest absolute number of people in acute food insecurity, trailing Nigeria, South Sudan, Kenya, and Malawi.
AGRA points out that the food situation in Mozambique exhibits strong regional disparities. Although certain areas in the center and south have benefited from the recovery of agricultural production, increased seasonal income, and better harvests, regions affected by armed violence in Cabo Delgado and parts of northern Nampula persist in levels of food crisis.
The document highlights that insecurity, population displacement, and the interruption of livelihoods continue to restrict regular access to food in these northern provinces, even during the current agricultural season.
The organization adds that the most vulnerable households are subject to the combined effects of conflict, extreme weather events, and increasing dependence on markets for food purchases.
Food item prices are also under pressure. The report reports that Mozambique registered an annual increase of 51.2% in the price of maize, one of the highest in the region. The price of beans rose by 5.8% compared to previous periods, which, according to the authors, reflects supply restrictions and isolated problems in agricultural markets.
AGRA also warns about the sharp increase in fertilizer costs in the country. Urea prices grew by 93.8% compared to the previous year, while NPK fertilizers showed an annual increase of 56.5%, raising production costs for farmers.
Additionally, the report mentions that Mozambique is among the African countries most susceptible to the projected impacts of the El Niño climate phenomenon, whose duration is expected until the end of 2026 and early 2027.
Projections indicate risks of reduced rainfall in certain locations, above-average temperature increases, loss of agricultural income, and greater fragility of rural communities dependent on subsistence farming. AGRA assesses that the improvements observed in some Mozambican regions during the current harvest may be temporary if the climate instability scenarios projected for the next agricultural season materialize.
The province of Cabo Delgado, known for its natural gas wealth, has faced an armed insurgency since October 2017. The organization Project Data on Location and Armed Conflict Events (Acled) counted 11 violent incidents in the first two weeks of June in Cabo Delgado, all involving Islamic State-linked extremists, resulting in eight deaths, bringing the total victims since 2017 to 6,632.
According to the latest Acled report, covering the period from June 1st to 14th, out of 2,408 violent events recorded since the start of the insurgency in Cabo Delgado in October 2017, 2,224 involved members associated with the Islamic State Mozambique.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the number of Ebola victims has reached 600 people. According to data from the country's Ministry of Health, the total number of confirmed cases is 1,759.
The situation is causing growing alarm as suspicious cases are now being detected even in regions where the disease was not previously reported. Specifically, two suspected Ebola infections have been identified in the city of Kisangani, which is the center of the Tshopo province in the north of the country. One case is linked to the outbreak in Ituri province, while the other has no connection to existing hotspots.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the virus is spreading rapidly due to issues related to population migration and security. Furthermore, some treatment centers are operating at near capacity. The situation is exacerbated by a shortage of medical personnel, as doctors and nurses claim they have not received salaries for several months since the epidemic was declared. A lack of protective equipment and harsh working conditions are also sources of discontent. Officials stated that measures are being taken to address these problems.
Experts emphasized that this epidemic is associated with the 'Bundibugyo' virus strain, and currently, there is no approved vaccine or effective treatment for this pathogen. Consequently, scientists began initial clinical trials against the disease last week and intensified research aimed at containing the spread of the virus.
The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) released a new projection indicating that between 1.5 and 1.99 million individuals will require food assistance during the analyzed period. This need stems from below-average food stocks, resulting from a poor agricultural harvest in 2026, and livelihood disruptions caused by insurgency in certain provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula.
The international early warning network, funded by the United States Government and responsible for monitoring food insecurity, points to the north and south of Mozambique as regions under the highest risk. Despite the current harvest season, areas affected by armed insurgency in Cabo Delgado and northern Nampula are expected to remain in 'Crisis' (IPC Phase 3) until January 2027. This is due to the persistence of armed group activity, population displacement, and restrictions on access to arable land, markets, and income sources.
FEWS NET recalled that between April and June, armed groups intensified attacks in the districts of Nangade and Macomia, subsequently expanding their actions to Chiúre, Ancuabe, and Montepuez, all located in Cabo Delgado. According to data provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 23,000 people were forced to displace by mid-June in these specific districts.
In the center and south of the country, the organization forecasts a temporary improvement in food security starting in July. This change may move some areas from 'Crisis' to food 'Stressed' (IPC Phase 2), benefiting from the second agricultural season's harvests, post-flood aid, and seasonal gains. However, there is a warning that some of these districts may return to a crisis situation between October and January, when produced food runs out and market dependence increases.
Floods recorded in January affected over 700,000 people and caused damage to approximately 440,000 hectares of agricultural land in the provinces of Maputo, Gaza, and Sofala. Subsequently, between February and March, long periods of drought followed by new heavy rainfall events worsened losses to both crops and national livestock. The report also highlights that agricultural recovery remains slow due to soil degradation, prolonged flooding, and limited access to seeds, factors that delayed the second season's planting and harvesting by more than a month.
Additionally, FEWS NET signals that the El Niño phenomenon is already underway and is expected to last until January 2027. This predicts a late and below-average start to the next rainy season in southern and central Mozambique, along with high temperatures—conditions that can reduce agricultural production and seasonal employment opportunities for the most vulnerable families, a scenario aggravated by rising food costs.
According to the organization, maize prices in the south of the country showed increases of 25% to 60% in May compared to the average of the last five years, while rice prices were between 20% and 40% above this average. Annual inflation accelerated to 7.2% in May, the highest level since May 2023, driven mainly by the rising cost of fuel and transport. In May, about 180,000 people received humanitarian food assistance, concentrated in Cabo Delgado and Gaza. Flood response operations had assisted approximately 300,000 people in the provinces of Maputo, Gaza, and Sofala by mid-June.
