Dhaka, April 24, 2026 — Bangladesh has been ranked among the top 10 countries facing severe food insecurity, according to the latest Global Report on Food Crises published on Friday.
The annual report, prepared using data from the United Nations, the European Union, and several humanitarian organizations, reveals that nearly two-thirds of people suffering from acute food insecurity in 2025 were concentrated in just 10 countries.
The countries listed are Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Among them, Sudan, Nigeria, and the DRC alone account for about one-third of the total affected population.
While some improvement has been observed in countries like Bangladesh and Syria, the situation has significantly worsened in Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Zimbabwe, slowing overall global progress.
The report states that around 266 million people across 47 countries or territories faced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025—almost double the figure recorded in 2016.
Conflict remains the leading cause of food crises worldwide, with climate change intensifying the situation through extreme weather events. The report warns that conditions could deteriorate further in 2026, potentially making it a “very severe” year for global food security.
A decline in international humanitarian assistance has added to the crisis. Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have displaced large populations, while disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have driven up global fuel prices. The increase in fuel costs has also raised fertilizer prices, negatively affecting agricultural production.
Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), told AFP that rising fertilizer and fuel costs are likely to have a serious negative impact on crop production in the current farming season.
He emphasized the need to invest in climate-resilient agriculture and called for increased local fertilizer production to support small-scale farmers.
The report concludes with a warning that without urgent and coordinated global action, food insecurity is likely to worsen, putting millions more people at risk.
