When climate meets conflict: How two crises are reshaping global hunger | WION Decodes

While the impact of war and climate change is evident in the economy and loss of lives, there’s another major consequence of them that is not talked about enough – hunger. Multiple wars across the world and climate disasters have taken a toll on food supplies in several parts of the world, leaving a significant portion of the population in hunger. According to the World Food Programme (WFP) estimates, 363 million people are at risk of acute hunger in 2026. Just the conflict in the Middle East has put 45 million people at risk of acute hunger.

Conflict: Driving force behind hunger

The major driver of the global food crisis across continents is conflict. According to recent UN analyses, two-thirds of the world’s most food-insecure people lived in fragile or conflict-affected countries, including Sudan, Gaza, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali. The increased hostilities in the Middle East have further posed a major threat to the food security of millions of people. Conflict in East, Central and West Africa, as well as in the Caribbean, southern Asia and Eastern Europe, is also fuelling hunger.

During a war, millions are displaced, disrupting farming activities and causing land destruction in the region. Further, markets collapse and give rise to food insecurity. The conflict-ridden regions also do not get humanitarian aid or get it late, resulting in the civilians starving. Several parts of Sudan are experiencing famine due to the prolonged conflict.

Climate shocks weaken food supply

Making the already grave situation even worse, extreme weather events triggered by climate change have considerably increased in frequency, making it another leading cause of hunger across the world. According to the UN, nearly 96 million people were affected by climate-related food shocks in 2024. Extreme weather events, particularly induced by El Nino, have resulted in droughts, floods, and heatwaves.

El Nino occurs when sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean become significantly warmer than normal, weakening trade winds and altering global atmospheric circulation. This changes rainfall and temperature patterns worldwide.

These events can directly impact agricultural output and result in a shortage of food, driving up food prices. WFP has warned, “Hunger will spiral out of control if the world fails to take immediate climate action.”

Economic instability fuels hunger

Apart from conflicts and climate, economic conditions are also responsible for pushing millions into hunger. Inflation, currency depreciation, and global supply disruptions have affected affordability even where food is available. According to UN estimates, around 59 million people were pushed into food insecurity due to economic shocks alone. The rising cost of fertilisers and trade disruptions have further affected agricultural production, worsening the situation in countries that particularly rely on imports.

Children pay the heaviest price

Children are the most affected group due to the hunger crisis. According to estimates, 36 million children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition across the world. Severe malnutrition increases the risk of death from common diseases and causes irreversible damage to physical and cognitive development.

In conflict-affected regions, malnutrition rates are often higher than the emergency thresholds defined by humanitarian agencies, reflecting systemic breakdowns in healthcare, sanitation, and food access.

How can we end global hunger crisis?

As the world spirals into multiple crises, the food crisis has only been getting worse, especially for those who have been living in regions that have been gripped by food shortages for several years. Over 80 per cent of severely food-insecure populations now live in protracted crises, such as in Sudan and Gaza, where instability persists for years.

According to the WFP, a coordinated effort across government, financial institutions, and the private sector is the “only way to end the global food crisis”. It further recommended, “Political and diplomatic solutions are needed to strengthen peacebuilding efforts and ensure safe and unrestricted access across borders and conflict lines – to save lives and prevent the hunger catastrophe spreading even further.”

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