HARARE, Jul. 21 (NewsDay Live) — More than 4 million Zimbabweans faced hunger in 2025, the United Nations said Tuesday, warning that healthy diets have become unaffordable for billions of people worldwide.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 report, released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), UNICEF, World Food Programme (WFP) and World Health Organization (WHO), said 645 million people globally experienced hunger last year.
The report said the greater challenge extends beyond food availability to affordability.
"Beyond ensuring access to sufficient dietary energy, populations must have economic access to safe, diverse and nutritious foods," the report said. "Yet, healthy diets are unaffordable for about 2.7 billion people worldwide."
UN estimates show between 3.5 million and 4.2 million Zimbabweans were undernourished in 2025, representing roughly one in four people.
More than half of Zimbabwean households experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, driven by the effects of the 2024 El Niño-induced drought and persistently high food inflation.
Keep Reading
- Govt to distribute grain as hunger stalks millions
- Zim’s urbanites facing high prices
- 3,8m villagers face hunger
- Food crisis looms in Sadc
According to the report, the cost of a healthy diet in Zimbabwe is now between 2.5 and three times that of a basic maize meal-based diet, placing foods such as meat, dairy products, fruit and vegetables beyond the reach of many households.
The nutritional consequences are becoming increasingly evident. Child stunting remains above 25%, while micronutrient deficiencies are rising as families rely on cheaper staple foods.
Across Africa, an estimated 298 million people experienced hunger in 2025, equivalent to about one in five people on the continent. More than 1 billion Africans, or about 70% of the population, could not afford a healthy diet, the report said.
The FAO attributed persistently high food prices to conflict, climate shocks, debt burdens and heavy reliance on food imports.
The five UN agencies called for governments to shift their focus beyond food production by making nutritious diets more affordable through subsidies, greater investment in local agriculture and expanded social protection programs.
"Until a healthy diet is affordable, hunger and malnutrition will persist," the report said.
For many Zimbabweans, the findings reflect everyday experience: food is available on supermarket shelves and in markets, but increasingly remains beyond the financial reach of millions.