Hunger Crisis Explodes Across Three Continents as UN Runs Out of Cash — 17 Million in Afghanistan Alone

The United Nations reports that global efforts to end hunger have hit a dangerous standstill, with rising conflicts, economic shocks, and extreme weather threatening to reverse years of gains [201134]. In Afghanistan, the UN projects that over 17 million of the country’s 44 million people will face acute food insecurity this year, yet its Humanitarian Response Plan has received less than 20 percent of its required budget [199086]. Sharp cuts in foreign aid from the United States, which once funded up to 40 percent of Afghanistan’s humanitarian aid, along with reductions from the United Kingdom and other donors, have forced humanitarian groups to reduce programs and triage aid [199086]. Before October 2025, only 28 percent of Afghan households got enough food without assistance; by April 2026, that number had fallen to 20 percent [199086].

In northern Nigeria, children are relapsing into malnutrition at alarming rates as rising living costs worsen food insecurity [200136]. Aid workers describe the trend as a “knock-on effect” from the ongoing conflict in Iran, which has disrupted global supply chains and pushed up prices for essential goods [200136]. The head of the United Nations children’s agency recently visited northwestern Nigeria, calling for stronger protection of children as conflict, poverty, and rising food insecurity deepen the crisis [199215].

In Sudan, the UN reports that over 100,000 displaced people sheltering in camps in El Obeid are facing rapidly worsening hunger [198810]. Fighting between rival military factions has destroyed homes, hospitals, and markets, while aid groups struggle to reach those in need due to ongoing insecurity and lack of funding [199878].

The UN’s ability to respond to these crises is itself under threat. The United States and China together owe nearly half of the mandatory payments from member countries, and dozens of other nations also pay late or not at all [201063]. The UN General Assembly changed a long-standing rule on June 30, 2026, to help ease the world body’s deepening cash shortage, but severe funding problems remain [201063]. Human Rights Watch warns that the UN’s money crisis is hurting its global human rights activities and urges member countries to ensure the UN has the resources it needs to protect human rights and save lives [201063].