Despite decades of global pledges and billions of dollars in aid, hunger remains one of the world’s gravest and most persistent challenges, with indicators showing worsening outcomes in many regions.

Diplomats, development experts, and agribusiness leaders have raised concerns that conflicts, climate change, and post-harvest losses are deepening food insecurity across Africa and beyond.

This formed the crux of discussions at the World Food Day 2025 commemoration held in Lagos, themed “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future”, organised by the Hope for Life Initiative.

The Consul General of Germany in Lagos, Daniel Krull, revealed that in 2024 alone, about 295 million people across 53 countries suffered from acute food insecurity, an increase of 13.7 million from the previous year.

“Hunger is not a privilege; it is a universal human right. Yet millions still go to bed hungry every night,” Krull said.

He identified violent conflicts, economic instability, climate shocks, and rising inequality as major drivers of the global hunger crisis, warning that the global food system is under immense strain.

Krull noted that in countries such as Nigeria, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Bangladesh, more than 23 million people are currently facing acute hunger, while chronic hunger affected about 673 million people worldwide in 2024, roughly one in every twelve people.

Reaffirming Germany’s commitment to tackling global hunger, Krull said the country remains the second-largest donor to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), contributing €661 million to food security initiatives in 2024 through its Federal Foreign Office. He added that the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) continues to support resilience programmes in Africa and the Middle East.

However, Krull acknowledged the financial strain facing global donors, citing a 22 per cent reduction in Germany’s humanitarian contributions between 2023 and 2024.

 “The global hunger crisis demands solidarity, coordination, and shared accountability. No single country or organisation can solve it alone,” he added.