Number of people facing acute food insecurity rises by 65 mln in 2022 — FAO

Around 258 million people in 58 countries and territories faced acute food insecurity at crisis or worse levels in 2022, up from 193 million people in 53 countries and territories in 2021. This is stated in a report the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) published on Wednesday.

"The number of people experiencing acute food insecurity and requiring urgent food, nutrition and livelihood assistance increased for the fourth consecutive year in 2022. Much of this growth reflects an increase in the population analyzed. In 2022, the severity of acute food insecurity increased to 22.7%, from 21.3% in 2021, but remains unacceptably high," FAO notes.

Some 376,000 people experienced the most severe food insecurity in Somalia (57%), Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen.

FAO notes that in seven editions of its report, 38 countries were consistently listed as food crises. An important detail is the protracted nature of many of these food crises.

FAO estimates that the largest food crises in 2022 were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Yemen, Myanmar, Syria, Sudan, Ukraine and Pakistan.

Experts emphasize that conflicts remain the main cause of food crises.

"Economic shocks have surpassed conflict as the primary driver of acute food insecurity and malnutrition in several major food crises," the report says.