Updated: May 8, 2025
Over the years, steadily-growing hunger has become a global catastrophe throughout many regions. According to the World Food Programme (WFP, 2025), 343 million people face acute hunger across 74 countries. An estimated 1.9 million are facing catastrophic hunger primarily in Gaza and Sudan, but also in South Sudan, Haiti and Mali. The escalating hunger crisis in Yemen, with over 17 million facing acute food insecurity, is projected to rise to 19 million by the end of 2025 (UN, 2025).
World hunger isn’t simply a lack of food; rather it’s a web of many underlying factors. An overwhelming majority of the regions suffering from hunger and malnutrition are in the grips of conflict, experiencing economic turmoil, poverty, or dealing with the cascading effects of the climate crisis. Indeed 65% of 343 million facing acute hunger are in countries experiencing these leading factors in the Middle East, East, Central and West Africa the Caribbean, southern Asia and Eastern Europe (WFP, 2025).
Conflict remains the largest catalyst for skyrocketing levels of hunger throughout the world. Violence and war force families to flee, lose income, and ruin the economic infrastructure of a country. Additionally, dramatic climate changes, such as droughts and excessive rainfalls, also contribute to food shortages and lessen the chances of communities being able to properly grow their crops.
Those most affected by chronic hunger include children, women, and the elderly. As of 2025, the World Food Programme (WFP) reports that women and girls account for 60% of the 343 million people worldwide facing severe hunger. This is attributed to systemic gender inequalities, limited access to resources, and heightened vulnerability in conflict zones.
Chronic malnutrition extends far beyond an empty stomach as it affects both cognitive and physical development, which can have an everlasting impact on an individual, especially children. Hunger leads to many poor health outcomes primarily in groups that are already vulnerable.
At Zakat Foundation of America, our value-centric vision includes serving the neediest of communities, which include addressing the global food crisis. We firmly believe that access to food and clean water is a basic human right. Our core values include ensuring that human dignity remains at the forefront of our work. Our growing global food security program now feeds an astonishing 10 million meals per year in the most affected countries throughout the world.
We believe in immediate aid to those that are affected by hunger. Additionally, we believe in long-term, sustainable solutions to end the relentless hunger crisis. Global initiatives include emergency food aid, the development of food security programs, assisting in the establishment of agricultural programs and policy advocacy.
