UN agencies list Syria among 16 global hunger hotspots
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Syria has been identified as one of the world’s 16 hunger hotspots by two United Nations agencies, according to a joint report released Wednesday by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
The agencies warned that funding shortfalls are exacerbating humanitarian conditions in the affected countries.
The report cited conflict and violence as the primary drivers of acute food insecurity in most of the listed nations. Syria, alongside Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Somalia, was categorized as a country of “very high concern.” Other countries facing imminent risk of catastrophic hunger include Haiti, Mali, the Palestinian territories, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen.
The agencies also highlighted the plight of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, as well as populations in Burkina Faso, Chad, and Kenya, emphasizing the global scale of the crisis.
According to the report, humanitarian relief funding remains critically insufficient. Of the $29 billion required to assist vulnerable populations globally, only $10.5 billion has been secured.
This shortfall has forced the WFP to reduce aid to refugees and internally displaced persons, and to suspend school feeding programs in several countries.
WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain stated, “We are on the brink of a hunger catastrophe that is entirely preventable,” warning that failure to act “will only lead to further instability, displacement, and conflict.”
In Syria, years of conflict have devastated infrastructure and disrupted agricultural production, leaving millions dependent on humanitarian aid.
The situation is particularly dire in displacement camps and underserved urban areas, where access to food and basic services remains limited.
The report calls for urgent international action to prevent widespread famine and to stabilize regions facing acute food insecurity.