UN Report: Africa Surpasses Asia in Hunger, Malnutrition Rises

Kathmandu. According to a report released by the United Nations, Africa has surpassed Asia for the first time in terms of population affected by hunger as malnutrition problems increase.

The UN's annual report on food security and nutrition indicates that although hunger is gradually decreasing globally, the situation varies unevenly across different regions.

David Laborde, Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s Agri-Food Economics Division, stated that the epicenter of hunger has shifted from Asia to Africa. According to him, China has achieved remarkable success in controlling hunger in the last 25 years, while India has also intensified its efforts to solve the problem.

According to the report jointly prepared by five UN agencies, including the FAO, in 2025, about 309 million people in Africa, or 20 percent of the total population, will be affected by hunger.

During this period, 292 million people in Asia, or about 6 percent of the total population, were affected by hunger. According to the report, the population facing hunger globally has decreased from 8.6 percent in 2022 to 7.8 percent in 2025. The number of affected people has also decreased by about 43 million to 645 million. However, the report states that this number is still higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the rate of malnutrition in Africa has been continuously increasing since 2017, the latest data shows some signs of improvement in 2025. However, the number of Africans unable to afford healthy food has been increasing since 2021, while this proportion has decreased in other regions of the world.

According to the report, about two-thirds, or 66.6 percent, of people in Africa cannot afford healthy food, which is more than double that of Asia. The report suggests that African nations prioritize the development of animal-source food production and supply systems. Animal-source foods in this region are more expensive compared to other food groups.

According to the United Nations, climate change impacts and conflict have further exacerbated the food crisis in Africa. Laborde stated that conflicts, particularly in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have deprived millions of people of arable land and sources of income.

The United Nations has previously warned that about 20 million people in Sudan are at risk of extreme food insecurity. It has also warned that if the ongoing war in the Middle East continues, millions more people could fall victim to hunger.

According to Laborde, although the price of energy and fertilizer has increased due to the war, its direct impact has been limited so far. However, he stated that the risk to food security still remains.