On World Food Day, 16th October, Action Against Hunger UK is launching Hunger Ends with Us. A bold, people powered movement calling on the UK public and government to take urgent action to end global hunger. The campaign asks supporters, especially those who want to act but aren’t sure how, to sign up, speak out, donate, and press their MPs to reverse UK aid cuts and help stop the use of hunger as a weapon of war.
Extreme hunger and malnutrition are at record levels and rising. In 2023, 281.6 million people were facing crisis levels of hunger. In 2024, that number grew to 295.3 million. At a time when people need help the most, the world is turning its back. The near collapse of USAID, the UK government’s announcement to reduce aid spending by 40% by 2027, and other major nations slashing their aid budgets, pushing life-saving health and nutrition services to the brink. These decisions will have long-lasting effects for millions of people facing hunger and starvation. To make matters worse, in conflicts across the globe, starvation is deliberately being used as a weapon of war.
The number of conflicts worldwide has doubled in just five years. Modern conflicts are increasingly fought in densely populated cities, where sieges, blocked aid and the weaponisation of food have made starvation a deliberate tactic, rather than a by-product. Despite being banned under International Humanitarian Law, perpetrators rarely held to account.
Jean Michel Grand, Executive Director at Action Against Hunger UK, said:
“Hunger Ends with Us is a rallying cry. We’re asking people everywhere to join us – sign up, share our message, contact your MPs, donate, and hold leaders to account. Small, meaningful actions taken together become a powerful force for change. We’ve halved global malnutrition, and we can do it again, but only if we act now, together.
“Hunger is not inevitable, it’s a political choice, and we can choose differently. We have the legal framework to prohibit the use of starvation as a weapon of war, but that by itself is not enough. We need your help to make sure that fighting hunger is at the top of the political agenda. At a time when politics around the world is fraught with crisis, we must unite to demand that decision makers address the most fundamental question of human survival: whether men, women, and children live or die because of starvation.”
In a joint statement with other NGOs and international actors, Action Against Hunger calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, cautioning that the blockade and delays to aid risk amounting to starvation and could breach international law. Action Against Hunger points to UN Security Council Resolution 2417 (2018), which condemns the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
In Sudan, where Action Against Hunger has been present since 2018, it has intensified its efforts since the start of the conflict to address the unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
After their home in Khartoum was destroyed during the fighting, Fatima* and her children fled in fear as armed groups entered homes in their neighbourhood. Forced to move from town to town, they eventually reached Zalingei. Action Against Hunger provided medicine when the children became ill, but needs remain severe. Water supplies have stopped, families lack shelter, and children are out of school and suffering psychologically from the impacts of the war. Fatima says she and her children are grateful for the support, but urge more aid and world leaders to stop war so families can return home.
The campaign is urging the government to step up and play its part by reversing the devastating aid cuts and committing to protect at least £1 billion in humanitarian assistance this year. It also calls on the UK to uphold and champion International Humanitarian Law, and do everything in its power to end the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
*Name has been changed to protect identity.