Hunger is not a natural disaster—it’s a result of human choices. But there’s hope: A quiet but mighty movement of community-led organizations is fighting hunger from the ground up, and it’s time to support their proven solutions.
In recent years, famine warnings have surged around the world, signaling a troubling reversal of decades of progress in the fight against hunger. The number of people living on an empty stomach is rising, with 152 million more people experiencing hunger since 2019.
Despite living in a world with more than enough food to feed everyone, 733 million people still experience hunger daily. This hunger is not inevitable—it is the result of broken systems, inequitable access, and the barriers that prevent food from reaching those who need it most.
Yet, across the globe, communities are showing how hunger can be addressed by reclaiming community resources, reducing conflict through peace-building initiatives, improving local food and ecological systems, advancing sustainable economic opportunities, and advocating for systems change.
From small-scale farmers to community organizations and grassroots initiatives, people are already taking action toward these goals. By supporting these local efforts and fostering stronger, more resilient networks, we can build a future where everyone has access to the food they need to thrive
While famine has traditionally been understood as a natural disaster caused by drought, crop failure, or conflict, the reality today is far more complex. However, the definition of famine has remained the same: extreme food deprivation, widespread malnutrition, and high mortality rates affecting a region or group.
While governments have the final say on declaring famine, many hesitate for political reasons. As a result, famine or famine-like conditions are likely more widespread than our current data suggests. This is particularly concerning given the recent uptick in official declarations.
Once thought to be a natural disaster, famines are now understood to be shaped by human actions and socio-political factors. A closer look reveals that famine has become a weapon of war—a brutal consequence of violent conflict, unjust resource distribution, political instability, and unchecked market forces that prioritize profit over people’s well-being.
The patterns surrounding modern famine become clear when we take the time to listen to the communities most affected by hunger.
These communities are not passive victims but vital sources of knowledge and resilience. They understand, firsthand, the complex layers of the challenges they face—be it from conflict, climate change, or broken political or humanitarian systems. Listening to their experiences, needs, and solutions is essential to building more effective responses and long-term solutions.
In this article, we explore the root causes of famine and examine how local efforts are leading the fight against hunger in two places: East Africa and Palestine. We’ll highlight how community-based organizations are creating lasting solutions—and how donors and funders can support a new system reimagining the fight against hunger.
Across East Africa, 50 million people are facing unimaginable hunger.
Ethiopia, once known for its fertile lands and agricultural abundance, now faces a heartbreaking reality: widespread food shortages and famine-like conditions. A brutal civil war has devastated communities, with reports of the government stealing aid and forcing families to donate rations to armed forces. More than 1.4 million people were displaced, many of which lived in Tigray’s fertile western areas. More than 81% of household crops in the Tigray region were deliberately destroyed in months of fighting, burning, and destruction. During this time, the Ethiopian government denied reports of hundreds of hunger-driven deaths.
In neighboring Sudan, a war over power erupted in April 2023. Blocked aid and conflict between the government military (SAF) and militia groups (RSF) make it even more difficult for displaced communities to receive food. In the capital city Khartoum, people are reeling from government-imposed communications blackouts that shut down communal kitchens where families gathered to receive food.
In Sudan, the legacy of long-standing sanctions has significantly driven up food prices and made basic household goods unaffordable for many. Though initially intended to target the government, these measures disproportionately affected lower-income communities.
As the economy contracted, profiteers exploited resource shortages, further exacerbating food insecurity. Market distortions, combined with ongoing political and economic instability, have made survival even more challenging.
While the negative impact of sanctions—particularly trade and economic restrictions—on food security is increasingly recognized, addressing their legacy is critical. To create lasting solutions and end famine, global actors must find effective ways to support affected populations and take responsibility for the long-term consequences of their policies.
The crisis in East Africa also highlights another alarming pattern of famine: The failure of international humanitarian aid and governments to adequately meet the needs of struggling communities.
The suspension of UN programs and the inability of many international aid organizations to deliver food in conflict zones raises serious questions about the effectiveness of traditional humanitarian responses to hunger.
As humanitarian giants scramble to get people on the ground, organizations like Abraham’s Oasis are witnessing famines unfold firsthand in their communities.
“We saw many aid agencies reduce their activities or leave, creating gaps in service delivery,” said Catharina van den Bosch of Abraham’s Oasis. “The elderly suffered the most, with food shortages and the cost of medicine rising.”
But Abraham’s Oasis hasn’t backed down. The nonprofit’s Ethiopian-led teams provide essential supplies to about 1,500 displaced people. When the Tigray region went into civil war and was completely locked out of humanitarian aid, Abraham’s Oasis team was one of the only truly operating organizations in the region.
In recent times, they’ve given 100 elderly and women cash assistance for food and medical expenses and are working toward finding sustainable solutions for their community through counseling, parenting support, livelihood and financial support, and initiatives to get children back in school.
Abraham’s Oasis is one of many nonprofits that have received flexible funding from GlobalGiving’s East Africa Hunger Relief Fund. Other recipients include organizations like Nomadic Assistance for Peace and Development, which focuses on promoting sustainable growth; All My Sisters Around The World For Peace, which is dedicated to peacebuilding efforts; and Drylands Natural Resources Centre (DNRC), which works with farmers to grow food, restore native forests, and support local livelihoods.
While organizations like Abraham’s Oasis and others supported by GlobalGiving’s East Africa Hunger Relief Fund are working tirelessly to alleviate hunger and promote sustainable solutions in East Africa, similar struggles are unfolding in other parts of the world. In Palestine, for example, the devastating interplay of conflict, agricultural destruction, and blocked aid is fueling an escalating hunger crisis. Just as we see in East Africa, these systemic challenges are not isolated, but part of a larger pattern of how conflict, political instability, and environmental degradation exacerbate food insecurity.
The same patterns fueling famine in East Africa are playing out in Gaza, deepening the crisis there.
In Gaza, one year after Israel’s war on Palestinians began, every single Palestinian has struggled to receive enough food. The crisis continues to deepen—since Oct.1 2024, almost no food aid has entered northern Gaza, leading to urgent calls by the humanitarian community to prevent mass starvation. A UN report says 96% of Gaza’s population and one in five Palestinians are food insecure, and about 495,000 people are facing starvation.
This harvest season, community members reflect on past years when crops like dates, olives, and strawberries—often called “red gold”—were bountiful. Today, however, these vital crops have been destroyed by conflict, leaving behind barren fields and shattered livelihoods.
But Gaza’s current inability to feed itself is no accident. Israeli bulldozers and heavy machinery have ravaged vast stretches of farmland, leaving behind nothing but barren earth. Satellite images from July reveal that more than 60% of Gaza’s farmland has been destroyed by Israeli bombardment, crippling the territory’s ability to produce food. The crisis isn’t confined to Gaza. Israeli settler attacks across the Occupied West Bank and the sieges of cities like Jenin have left Palestinians without food, water, or electricity for days on end. The destruction of crops and the obstruction of harvests further compound the growing food insecurity in these regions.
The consequences are deeply personal for people like Amira, whose life was turned upside down by the war:
“Unfortunately, Amira was unable to take anything with her when she had to flee her home. She lost everything, including her goats, due to the war. Currently, she is living her life in displacement.” — Maria Syed and Kat Grimmett, Rebuilding Alliance.
In the face of such devastating loss, organizations like Rebuilding Alliance continue to support Palestinian communities. Through their partnerships with local nonprofits, they are providing essential resources, including thousands of hot meals to displaced families across Gaza. One such partner is the Women’s Program Center, led by Mrs. Najah, whose tireless work is critical in meeting the immediate needs of those affected by the ongoing crisis. Mrs. Najah’s efforts were recently highlighted in an article that brings attention to the vital role local organizations play in alleviating hunger and supporting displaced communities.
“Since the beginning of the war, no fruits have arrived in the Gaza Strip. If they arrive, their prices are astronomical.”— Maria Syed
When we talk about famine and food insecurity in Gaza and more broadly across Palestine, we must recognize that it’s not simply a matter of too little food. It’s about too much war and inadequate policies.
In the face of this, it is critical to support community-led partners who are already on the grounds serving their communities. Organizations within the GlobalGiving network are providing emergency food aid while advocating for de-escalation and protecting essential resources like farmland.
Gaza’s entire population now depends on international assistance, yet the Israeli blockade on 83% of food aid makes even that prospect of food largely unattainable.
Headlines like “Hundreds of trucks full of aid sit idle near the border with Gaza” make the news, but the situation remains unchanged. On August 29th, the World Food Programme temporarily suspended staff movements in Gaza after being caught in attacks.
When we look closely at examples like East Africa and Gaza, it’s clear that a new path is needed. One that requires a more focused, community-driven approach than originally thought and directs attention and resources to specific, localized actions rather than a broad, one-size-fits-all solution.
However, there is hope. A new approach has been quietly emerging for decades in community-led circles—where many often don’t know to look.
These are the efforts you can champion today—efforts that are already making a tangible difference.
These organizations’ actions, strategies, locations, and solutions are as diverse as the communities they serve.
Some organizations focus on food sovereignty, advocating for practical, local and farmer-led solutions such as biofertilizers, biopesticides, and seed banks. These efforts foster regenerative landscapes that challenge the harmful dependence on synthetic fertilizers and genetically modified seeds.
Other organizations are working to break cycles of violence through peacebuilding initiatives. By promoting dialogue, reconciliation, and social cohesion, they address the underlying grievances that fuel conflict and help rebuild trust among divided communities. You can support these efforts and help amplify their impact.
Meanwhile, many groups tackle the root causes of conflict by addressing income inequality—providing sustainable jobs, helping people access available resources, and advocating for better economic policies that are more protective of at-risk communities.
Other pieces of the puzzle focus on restoring ecosystems and transforming barren, over-exploited lands into vibrant, sustainable environments that provide both livelihoods and food on the community’s table.
Each of these efforts contributes a vital piece to the larger solution. While they may take many forms, they all share a common goal: building sustainable, equitable solutions to hunger that are rooted in the very communities they serve.
To create a world where food is plentiful for all, we must fund and support these diverse efforts so they can work together, building a resilient web of solutions that address hunger from every angle, and empower communities to lead their own recovery.
Local solutions are not just sustainable—they offer the best chance for long-term food security in regions where conventional methods have faltered. Support them in leading us toward a future where Earth’s abundant resources are respected and shared by all.
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