Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Dominican Republic exits FAO hunger map after two decades of declining hunger

Publisher of the hunger map; certified the Dominican Republic's exit

The Dominican Republic has left the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) hunger map. Undernourishment fell from 21.3 percent of the population in 2006 to below 2.5 percent in the 2023–2025 period. On October 27, FAO Director General QU Dongyu ended a five-day visit by praising the country's record and presenting President Luis Abinader with the Order of Duarte, Sánchez y Mella.

Updated Oct 30

Global food prices hit near four-year high as supply disruptions mount

Money Moves

As of October 2026: Compiles the monthly Food Price Index and cereal supply and demand forecasts

Global food prices hit their highest level in nearly four years in September, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization reported on October 2. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 136 points, up 1.5% from August and 5.8% from a year earlier, its strongest reading since November 2022.

Updated Oct 5

Sudan cholera cases fall sharply after vaccination drive amid ongoing civil war

New Capabilities

As of September 2026: Launched nationwide livestock vaccination campaign

Sudan's cholera outbreak, which has killed 250 people since May, is fading. Weekly cases dropped from 421 at the end of July to 8 by mid-September, a decline the World Health Organization credits to a vaccination drive and pre-positioned medical supplies.

Updated Sep 29

Deadly winter storms sweep Afghanistan

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Launching major food security initiative amid winter crisis

Heavy snow and rainfall killed at least 61 people across Afghanistan between January 22-24, 2026, with 110 injured and 458 homes destroyed across 15 of the country's 34 provinces. Earlier that month, flash floods triggered by the season's first heavy rains killed at least 17 people on January 2, destroying over 1,800 homes in western provinces.

Updated May 23

Earth gained 2.24 million square kilometers of tree cover in 35 years

Built World

As of May 2026: Primary source of government-reported forest statistics

For decades, the dominant narrative held that global forest cover was declining. A 2018 study in Nature upended that assumption: satellite data from 1982 to 2016 showed the world's tree canopy grew by 2.24 million square kilometers—an area larger than Mexico. The net gain of 7.1% came despite ongoing tropical deforestation, with expansion in Russia, China, Europe, and the United States more than offsetting losses in the Amazon, Congo, and Southeast Asia.

Updated May 22

Sudan's war-driven famine crisis

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Lead agency for agricultural support

Two of every five Sudanese now lack enough food. Three UN agencies said on May 15 that 19.5 million people across Sudan face crisis-level hunger after three years of war between the national army and a paramilitary force.

Updated May 15