Man-Made Famines Are Rising as Global Hunger Hits Crisis Levels, WFP Warns World Leaders

ROME – The head of the United Nations World Food Programme has issued a stark warning to world leaders, urging immediate action to prevent what she described as deepening, man-made famines driven by conflict, climate shocks and economic collapse.

Cindy McCain, Executive Director of WFP, this week launched the agency’s 2026 push against extreme hunger at a moment when humanitarian needs are surging while resources and access are shrinking. Her remarks come as new global figures underline the scale of the crisis.

According to WFP’s 2026 Global Outlook, 318 million people worldwide are facing crisis levels of hunger or worse. The agency’s early warning systems are signalling growing food insecurity fuelled by violent conflict, extreme weather and harsh economic downturns, with hundreds of thousands already living in famine-like conditions.

“Barely two weeks into the new year the world is already confronting the risk of a dangerous and deepening global hunger crisis,” McCain said. “WFP’s resolve remains unshaken. We will seize every opportunity to rally the support and resources needed to reach those who depend on us for their survival.”

Speaking ahead of a meeting with WFP staff at the organisation’s Rome headquarters, McCain outlined priorities for 2026. These include broadening WFP’s funding base, making stronger use of new technologies, and ensuring frontline teams can operate safely and effectively in increasingly volatile environments. She also reaffirmed the importance of WFP’s four-year Strategic Plan, recently approved by consensus by the Executive Board, as a framework for delivering maximum impact with efficiency.

Drawing on her visits to some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones, McCain stressed that reaching vulnerable communities faster and at greater scale is now critical. She said WFP’s experience shows that early, strategic and innovative interventions can stop famine, stabilise communities, reduce pressures that drive migration and support long-term recovery.

Despite this track record, WFP is facing a severe funding gap. Current projections put available funding at just under half of the US$13 billion required to assist 110 million of the world’s most vulnerable people. At the same time, humanitarian operations are becoming more complex and more dangerous, raising the risk that millions could be cut off from life-saving assistance, with consequences for regional stability.

Linking hunger directly to conflict, McCain called on global leaders to take responsibility for preventing crises that are largely human-made. “WFP can’t end hunger on its own,” she said. “Today’s crises require swift, strategic and decisive action. I call on world leaders to step in earlier during humanitarian crises, rid our world of man-made famines, and most importantly, end these devastating conflicts which drive hunger and desperation.”

For Africa, where conflict, climate shocks and economic pressures intersect most sharply, the warning carries particular weight. Many African countries are still young, their institutions and systems developing under immense strain. Ending hunger on the continent will require not only emergency aid but sustained political commitment to peace, stability and early action. The tools to prevent famine already exist. What remains uncertain is whether the global community will act in time to use them.

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