While global hunger shows modest signs of improvement, Africa is heading in the opposite direction, according to a new United Nations report. The report, released during the African Union’s Global Food Systems Summit in Addis Ababa, projects that 512 million people worldwide could still be undernourished by 2030 — and nearly 60% of them will be in Africa. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, addressing the summit via video, warned that food should never be weaponized in conflict and urged global leaders to prioritize Africa’s worsening food crisis. “Hunger must never be used as a weapon of war,” he stressed, referencing growing concerns about how conflict and instability have disrupted access to food across the continent.
Current data paints a stark picture: over 280 million Africans are already malnourished, and food insecurity continues to worsen. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, cited climate change, violent conflict, and economic instability as the key factors driving the crisis. “Right now, 52 million people across the continent face severe food insecurity, and 3.4 million are teetering on the edge of famine,” Youssouf said.
Leaders at the summit called for urgent and coordinated efforts, including investments in sustainable agriculture, climate-resilient infrastructure, and strengthened social protection systems. Without swift action, the report warns, Africa could account for more than half of the world’s undernourished population by the end of the decade.
