New York: According to the latest report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Food Programme, and UNICEF, a staggering 7.8 million people are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity between April and July 2026. This accounts for 56 percent of the population, placing the country among the worst-affected regions in the world.
The findings, published under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system, highlight an alarming surge in extreme hunger levels. Around 73,300 people are now in the “catastrophe” phase — the most severe level of food insecurity — marking a sharp 160 percent increase from previous estimates.
Meanwhile, approximately 2.5 million people are classified under the “emergency” phase, while another 5.3 million are living in the “crisis” phase, reflecting widespread and escalating hardship across the country.
The report attributes the worsening crisis to a combination of factors, including intensifying conflict, large-scale displacement, economic decline, and climate-related shocks such as flooding. These challenges have significantly disrupted agricultural production, reduced food availability, and severely limited families’ ability to access basic nutrition.
The IPC, a global initiative involving United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners, categorizes food insecurity into five phases, with famine representing the most critical stage.