By Ken Muthomi - Reporter
Kenya, April 17, 2026 - The United Nations World Food Programme has launched an AI-powered digital platform aimed at strengthening the global fight against hunger across more than 50 countries.
The platform, HungerMap Live, integrates food security data with advanced predictive modelling to provide an up-to-date picture of hunger in the most vulnerable regions, particularly in Africa.
The system comes at a critical time, as humanitarian organizations are ramping up efforts to address global food insecurity despite shrinking funding.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), the number of people facing the most severe form of hunger has surged from 85,000 in 2019 to 1.4 million in 2025.
"HungerMap Live offers AI-assisted forecasting capabilities of projected food needs in WFP-designated Hunger Hotspots, 16 countries with populations already struggling with catastrophic hunger,” WFP stated.
“Studies have shown that early warning of emerging food security issues can reap tremendous cost savings and operational efficiencies,” it added.
The new system, which was developed with support from Google, analyses data from more than 300 analysts as well as that from governments and partner organisations.
This includes climate trends, agricultural outputs, market conditions, and economic indicators, enabling a deeper understanding of food crises.
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The platform also includes a special feature on “micronutrient intake adequacy,” which connects food security conditions with the nutritional quality of diets.
The feature, engineered with support from the Gates Foundation, helps identify populations at risk of “hidden hunger” caused by deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals.
“Through predictive modelling, provided with the support of Google, HungerMap Live answers three critical questions: what is the current state of food security across the world?” the organisation said.
WFP’s Executive Director Cindy McCain noted that the platform will now equip key decision makers with the necessary tools to deploy pre-emptive measures before the hunger crisis escalates.
”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,” McCain stated.
“ We’re able to track and predict where, how, and why hunger is growing, which means that we don’t just respond to hunger – we get ahead of it.”