Food Insecurity in 2026: Crisis Updates

Gaza remains in a severe humanitarian emergency, with conditions still described by UN agencies as dire despite the post-ceasefire partial improvement in access. OCHA reported in July 2026 that 67% of the population continued to face high levels of acute food insecurity, with 1.2 million people in Crisis or worse and 212,000 in Emergency conditions; the IPC projected deterioration to 1.4 million people in Crisis or worse by the end of 2026. The December 2025 IPC/UN update also said at least 1.6 million people, or 77% of the population, were still facing high levels of acute food insecurity, while more than 730,000 people had been displaced since the ceasefire. The health system remains critically degraded. The UK government’s June 2026 bulletin said at least 94% of Gaza’s hospitals are damaged or destroyed and only about 2,000 hospital beds remain across the Strip. UNICEF’s mid-2026 update said 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.1 million people were displaced and that access restrictions continued to disrupt humanitarian delivery, including healthcare, water, sanitation, and protection services. OCHA also reported continued movement restrictions, new displacement, and rising risks to food, water, shelter, and sanitation across Gaza in July 2026.

Yemen’s humanitarian crisis is worsening in 2026 as acute food insecurity rises and aid funding falls. UN-backed food security analysis reported that around 18.3 million people — about 52% of the population — are acutely food insecure, including about 5.2 million in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and around 41,000 in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) in some districts of Hajjah, Al Hodeidah, and Amran governorates. UN officials also warned in January 2026 that more than 20 million Yemenis would face acute food insecurity and tens of thousands could face famine-like conditions as humanitarian access becomes more restricted. The crisis is being driven by prolonged conflict, economic collapse, climate shocks, and sharply reduced humanitarian support. The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan says over 22 million people need assistance, including 10.95 million women and girls, and it seeks US$2.16 billion; it also estimates 14.4 million people need water, sanitation, and hygiene support, while more than 2.2 million children under age five face malnutrition, including 516,157 with severe acute malnutrition. UN and NGO reporting also says aid cuts are reducing food, nutrition, health, and WASH interventions, with the Food Security Cluster and Nutrition Cluster under severe strain and some health facilities already closed because of funding shortfalls.

Sudan’s health system remains near collapse in 2026 amid the ongoing war, mass displacement, repeated attacks on healthcare, and widespread hunger. WHO reported in January 2026 that more than one third of health facilities nationwide were non-functional, and it reiterated in April 2026 that 37% of facilities remained non-functional across the country’s 18 states. WHO also said the conflict had driven the system to the brink of collapse and left millions without access to essential care. The crisis is being compounded by attacks on hospitals and ambulances, disease outbreaks, and severe humanitarian needs. WHO reported 217 verified attacks on healthcare since April 2023, causing 2,052 deaths and 810 injuries by April 2026; earlier January 2026 figures were 201 attacks, 1,858 deaths, and 490 injuries. The 2026 humanitarian plan says 33.7 million people need assistance, including about 21 million who need health assistance, while outbreaks of cholera, malaria, dengue, measles, and polio continue to strain an already fragile system.