All articles tagged with #famine
Common Dreams reports that Van Jones drew sharp criticism after referencing an image about Gaza’s famine and claiming the starved baby had a pre-existing genetic issue, a claim tied to Noa Tishby’s post. The piece frames the remarks within the Gaza famine debate and genocide discussions, noting Jones’s prior apology for similar comments and the broader evidence of hunger in Gaza.
Harvard researchers, led by archaeologist Michael McCormick, argue 536 CE may be the worst year in history: a dust cloud from volcanic eruptions blocked sunlight for 18 months, plunging much of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia into darkness, causing global cooling and famine, with later eruptions in 540 and 547 deepening the crisis and the Byzantine Empire suffering amid plague and economic strain.
UN food agencies FAO and WFP say acute hunger will worsen in 13 hot spots this year, with Gaza still fragile despite improvement and regions in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, and Sudan facing heightened famine risk. About 1.6 million people were acutely food insecure earlier this year (roughly 77% of those analyzed). The agencies urge swift, coordinated international action to scale up aid and protect livelihoods, warning that without intervention millions more could face catastrophic hunger by year’s end. The United States has recently renewed funding to WFP and UNICEF to help respond.
The UN World Food Programme warns 363 million people are at risk of acute hunger, with 45 million due to the Middle East conflict and oil-price spikes; funding has fallen about 40% year on year, forcing cuts to relief programs and thousands of job losses, especially in Afghanistan and Yemen. The Iran war has raised food and transport costs, disrupted aid routes, and threatened fertilizer supplies, risking reduced yields next planting season in East Africa. Two famines occurred in 2025 in Gaza and Sudan, and aid workers face greater danger as norms erode and access is constrained.
This year's El Niño could be among the strongest in modern history, warming oceans and triggering droughts or floods that threaten global food supplies, with historians comparing the potential impact to the 1877 famine and underscoring that outcomes depend on policy, resources, and technology.
Fears of renewed fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region grow as cash shortages, empty shelves, and soaring prices return; after the 2020–2022 war that killed hundreds of thousands, experts warn the conflict could spill over and destabilize the Horn of Africa.
The article exposes how the IPC falsely claimed a famine in Gaza to manipulate public opinion and influence policy, highlighting the importance of relying on accurate data and criticizing the spread of false narratives that prolong conflict and fuel anti-Semitism.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan, starting in April 2023, has led to the worst humanitarian crisis of 2025, with over 14 million displaced, a high death toll, and severe food insecurity affecting nearly half the population, exacerbated by limited aid and escalating violence, especially in Kordofan and Darfur.
The UN reports that famine in Gaza has ended due to increased aid, but hunger remains critical with ongoing hardships, limited aid access, and a fragile ceasefire amid ongoing conflict and harsh living conditions.
A UN-backed report finds that while Gaza is no longer experiencing famine, 1.6 million people still face severe food insecurity, with ongoing risks if hostilities resume, highlighting the fragile humanitarian situation amid ongoing conflict and the need for sustained aid and peace efforts.
The global hunger monitor announced that famine conditions in Gaza have improved due to increased aid access following a ceasefire, but the situation remains critical with ongoing humanitarian challenges and disputed aid figures between Israel and aid agencies.
A recent report indicates that while famine has been temporarily averted in Gaza due to ceasefire and aid efforts, the region remains critically vulnerable with ongoing food insecurity, displacement, and limited access to essentials, despite claims from Israeli authorities that aid levels are sufficient. The situation is fragile, and more comprehensive aid and stability are urgently needed to prevent a future famine.
Archaeologists uncovered a mysterious Bronze Age mass burial site near Sanquhar, Scotland, dating back around 3,300 years, which likely resulted from a catastrophic event such as famine, with multiple individuals cremated and buried together in tightly packed urns during construction of a wind farm.
A network of community kitchens in Sudan, vital for millions amid ongoing civil war and famine, is on the brink of collapse due to funding shortages, operational challenges, and conflict-related obstructions, risking a worsening humanitarian crisis.
In 2025, Sudan has experienced a rare declaration of famine due to severe food, water, and medicine shortages, following similar crises in Gaza, Somalia, and South Sudan. The famine classification relies on a strict, internationally-agreed system called IPC, which assesses hunger on a five-phase scale, with famine being the most severe. Despite the challenges in data collection, especially in conflict zones, the system aims to alert the global community early enough to mobilize aid and prevent widespread mortality. The declaration process involves multiple agencies and high-level approvals, emphasizing the urgency of addressing these crises before they escalate further.