The reasons for having a Food Security Cluster remain as strong today as in 2010, when it was endorsed by IASC. After an initial positive trend, which saw the number of hungry people decline globally by 167 million over a decade (SOFI, 2015), with more data becoming available from many countries, this has now been reversed. 

The 2022 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC, 2022) highlights an alarming deterioration of acute food insecurity during 2021. Nearly 193 million people were in crisis or worse (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above – see more on IPC in 6.7) or equivalent in 53 countries/territories where comparable data were available in 2021. This represents an increase of nearly 40 million people compared to the previous high reached in 2020 (reported in the GRFC, 2021). The GRFC Mid-Year Update (2022) further reiterates that by September 2022 (based on projections made in 2021 and new data available in 2022) these numbers increased again to between 201.4 and 205.1 million people, making 2022 the fourth consecutive year of rising levels of acute food insecurity.

Acute food insecurity continues to be driven by multiple, integrated drivers that are often mutually reinforcing, including intensified conflict (all countries with populations facing Catastrophe/IPC Phase 5  – Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen – have protracted conflicts), pre-existing and COVID-19-related economic shocks (which impacts global supply chains, food prices, incomes, inflation and purchasing power) and some of the most severe weather extremes in recent years (including drought and prolonged dry spells in many countries and extreme flooding in others), or a combination of these drivers.  This has been compounded by the effects of the war in Ukraine on global food, energy and fertilizer prices and supplies and forecasts point to a bleak outlook, with the threat of famine persisting in some of the world’s worst food crises (see for example the Hunger Hotspots, FAO -WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity).

In 2023, based on the global humanitarian overview (GHO), 339 million people are in need of assistance in 69 countries. This is an increase of 65 million people compared to 2022.  Hence, the need for increased coordination in areas of food security, in a context of limited funding, is only growing.