The United Nations World Food Programme has warned that Sudan continues to face the largest hunger crisis globally, with 19.5 million people experiencing acute food insecurity, according to the agency's latest operational update. The programme also reported that approximately 825,000 children are at risk of severe acute malnutrition, and warned that persistent food and health-service shortages threaten rising mortality, especially among children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. The WFP stated it had reached around 80 percent of areas at risk of famine despite security and logistical challenges, but stressed that humanitarian needs far exceed available resources. Its operations inside Sudan urgently require $579 million to cover needs until October, and the agency said the current funding gap is already affecting the volume of food aid delivered.

In Afghanistan, the WFP reported that child malnutrition has reached critical levels, with wasting — the deadliest form of malnutrition — at critical levels in one-third of provinces. John Aylieff, WFP country director for Afghanistan, told reporters in Geneva that the number of children admitted to health centres is rising sharply, with about 80 percent of the most severe cases involving children under two years old, many arriving too late to be saved. The WFP said it is now able to reach only one in seven acutely malnourished women and children, down from one in four acutely malnourished children who needed treatment in March 2025. The agency has also halted food distributions aimed at preventing famine in the worst-affected areas due to lack of funding.

According to the WFP, the deterioration in Afghanistan stems from conflict-related trade disruptions, the forced return of nearly six million Afghans from neighbouring countries since expulsion policies began in late 2023, and deep cuts in international aid. Staple food prices have risen by 20 to 30 percent, while nearly 14 million Afghans face acute hunger. The United States, traditionally the largest donor, along with a number of European countries, have reduced funding since January 2025. WFP Afghanistan director Aylieff said: "This is a crisis which is getting worse by the day and tragically one which we are unable to contain." The agency estimates it needs $500 million over the next six months to prevent further escalation.

The WFP's Sudan warning comes as the country's war enters its fortieth month, with continued displacement, economic collapse and disrupted agricultural production. The agency noted that fighting still impedes humanitarian access to several areas, and that millions of civilians remain entirely dependent on food aid to survive. The WFP reiterated its call for the international community to urgently increase funding and ensure unimpeded aid delivery, warning that any further reduction in support could expand the scope of hunger and malnutrition in what it described as one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world today.