WFP Releases HungerMap Live to Fight Global Hunger

The new digital platform integrates data to provide early warnings and predictive modeling of food insecurity.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 7:50pm

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An ethereal, ghostly X-ray image of a human hand reaching out, symbolizing the global reach and impact of the WFP's new HungerMap Live platform for monitoring and predicting food insecurity.The WFP's new HungerMap Live platform uses advanced data and predictive modeling to provide an early warning system for global hunger, enabling faster and more effective humanitarian response.NYC Today

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has released HungerMap Live, a next-generation digital platform that combines extensive food security data and analysis with predictive modeling to help fight hunger in over 50 countries. The platform provides real-time insights into global hunger levels and forecasts emerging food security crises, enabling early action to save lives.

Why it matters

With rising food insecurity and limited humanitarian funding, HungerMap Live offers a critical early warning system to help direct resources and aid to the world's most vulnerable populations. The platform's predictive capabilities can lead to significant cost savings and operational efficiencies, as studies show every dollar invested in anticipatory action programs yields at least seven dollars in savings.

The details

HungerMap Live integrates data from WFP's network of over 300 food security analysts, as well as information from dozens of trusted partners. This includes global benchmark data on food insecurity, government statistics, and data on climate, markets, agriculture, and the economy. The platform's predictive modeling, supported by Google.org, answers key questions about the current state of food security, which regions require urgent attention, and the underlying factors driving hunger.

  • HungerMap Live was released on April 17, 2026.
  • The number of people facing the most severe form of hunger (IPC5) has increased 15-fold from 85,000 in 2019 to 1.4 million in 2025.

The players

United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)

The United Nations agency responsible for providing food assistance and addressing global hunger and food insecurity.

Cindy McCain

Executive director of the World Food Programme.

Jean Martin Bauer

Director of WFP's food security and nutrition analysis service.

Google.org

The philanthropic arm of Google that provided support for the predictive modeling capabilities of HungerMap Live.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The foundation that supported the development of the platform's micronutrient intake analysis.

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What they’re saying

“Without data, the fight against hunger is fought in the dark. This platform changes that, combining WFP's on-the-ground insights with critical data to give decision-makers, communities, humanitarian agencies and donors, the power to act before hunger costs lives.”

— Cindy McCain, Executive director, World Food Programme

“You can't stop hunger if you can't see it coming. That's why it's crucial that we keep funding the collection of this data, so that society has a trusted, evidence-based early warning system, that can alert the world about emerging and alarming conditions, and the risk of human suffering, before it's too late.”

— Jean Martin Bauer, Director of food security and nutrition analysis service, World Food Programme

What’s next

WFP is seeking continued funding and support to maintain and expand the data collection and analysis capabilities of HungerMap Live, in order to provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date early warning system for global hunger.

The takeaway

HungerMap Live represents a significant advancement in the fight against global hunger, providing decision-makers and humanitarian organizations with a powerful data-driven platform to anticipate and respond to food security crises before they escalate. By combining real-time monitoring with predictive modeling, the platform can help direct resources and aid to the most vulnerable populations, potentially saving countless lives.