Nearly 1.6 crore Bangladeshi citizens are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025, ranking the country among the top 10 worst-affected nations globally. The Global Report on Food Crises by UN agencies, as cited in a report from Daily Star, indicates that conditions are not expected to improve in 2026. The report attributes this situation to conflicts, climate shocks, economic instability, and supply-chain disruptions linked to the Middle East crisis.
These 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Yemen, represent about two-thirds of the 26.6 crore people worldwide who faced acute food insecurity last year. The report emphasizes that half of the world’s poorest individuals reside in five countries, with Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Nigeria facing protracted food crises.
Conflicts are identified as the primary factor driving severe hunger, pushing half of the global population into this dire situation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for increased investment in aid and an end to the conflicts exacerbating the crisis. Despite some progress in 2025, with a 32% decrease in the number of people facing acute food insecurity in Bangladesh, challenges persist.
The report also sheds light on deteriorating conditions among forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in two districts of Bangladesh, exacerbated by a recent influx of Rohingya refugees, flooding, and reductions in humanitarian aid. Globally, over 39 million individuals across 32 countries are grappling with emergency levels of food insecurity, with the number experiencing catastrophic hunger surging ninefold since 2016.
In 2025, approximately 35.5 million children suffered from acute malnutrition, with nearly 10 million facing severe acute malnutrition. Acute food insecurity signifies a disruption in one or more aspects of food security, such as availability, access, utilization, and stability, posing a threat to livelihoods.
