UN report says 282 million people faced acute hunger in 2023, with the worst famine in Gaza

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A new report says nearly 282 million people in 59 countries suffered from acute hunger in 2023, with war-torn Gaza hosting the largest number of people facing famine. The Global Report on Food Crises released Wednesday said the increase of 24 million people experiencing an acute lack of food from 2022 was due to the sharp deterioration in food security, especially in the Gaza Strip and Sudan, and the expanded number of nations with food crises that are monitored. According to the report, more than 705,000 people in five countries were at the worst catastrophic level of food insecurity. Máximo Torero, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’s chief economist, said over 80% of those facing imminent famine — 577,000 people — were in Gaza.