World Hunger Day 2026 falls on Thursday, May 28 and is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about hunger, food insecurity, and sustainable solutions to end poverty and malnutrition worldwide. The day emphasizes that hunger is not inevitable but is created by systems of inequity, which can be changed through collective action.
The theme for 2026 is “The End of Hunger is in our Hands”, It celebrates the contributions of individuals and communities in addressing hunger, including farmers regenerating land, women leading local governments, youth launching climate smart innovations, and communities organizing for their own development.
The campaign encourages people to take visible action, such as planting, cooking, building, or raising awareness, and share their efforts using #InOurHands on social media. To engage with this topic on social media, take a photo or short video of your hands in action — planting, cooking, building, writing, raising a sign — and post it with #InOurHands.
Despite progress, hunger remains a critical issue. Approximately 673 million people face hunger globally, with children in conflict zones being more than twice as likely to suffer from malnutrition. Visit World Vision to find out more about the impact on children. According to the latest UN Hunger Hotspots published on Action Against Hunger (November 2025), the countries most at risk of hunger are:
- Countries with highest concern: Sudan, Occupied Palestinian Territories, South Sudan, Haiti, Mali, Yemen and Afghanistan
- Countries with very high concern: Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia and Syria
- Other hunger hotspots: Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
In the hungriest countries where the UN has identified the highest concern, either:
- people are at risk of famine or famine has been declared and hunger is at catastrophic conditions
- hunger is getting worse and approaching catastrophic conditions
When hunger is catastrophic, at least 1 in 5 households have an extreme lack of food and basic necessities and starvation and death are at extremely high levels.
Hunger is closely linked to poverty, inequality, climate change and conflict and addressing it requires systemic solutions rather than temporary food aid. Sustainable approaches include supporting smallholder farmers, promoting climate resilient agriculture, and empowering women and communities to lead local development. Visit the website dedicated to World Hunger Day to find out how you can take action. Another organisation with information on this topic and ideas to take action is The Hunger Project.
LSHTM Library collections contain print and online resources on the topic of world hunger, nutrition and global food policy. Resources can be found by searching in the Library’s search tool, Discover. Print books on these subjects can be found in the Reading Room, shelf mark BEX. A selection of books from this section are on display in the Library’s Reading Room.
Hunger is closely linked to poverty, inequality, climate change and conflict and addressing it requires systemic solutions rather than temporary food aid. Sustainable approaches include supporting smallholder farmers, promoting climate resilient agriculture, and empowering women and communities to lead local development. Visit the website dedicated to World Hunger Day to find out how you can take action. Another organisation with information on this topic and ideas to take action is The Hunger Project.
