Global food insecurity remains at record levels. According to the mid-year update of the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), published on 14 September, the situation remains similar to 2022, when 258 million people were considered to be acutely food insecure (IPC/CH phase 3 or above or equivalent) in 58 countries and territories, a historical maximum. Whilst the 2023 mid-year update records 238 million food-insecure people, it only covers 48 countries, hence both figures cannot be directly compared. However, the prevalence of acute food insecurity among the populations analysed remains largely unchanged compared with 2022 (21% vs 22%), suggesting that the situation is not improving. According to the latest Hunger Hotspots report, nine countries are at risk of famine, the highest number recorded since this report is published: Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Mali and Sudan. The forecast for the remaining part of 2023 is bleak. The consequences of Russia’s withdrawal of the BSGI and its deliberate attacks on Ukraine’s grain facilities will be more clearly felt globally and particularly by those more vulnerable in food affected countries. Russia’s actions will likely drive up again global grain prices and will have an impact on how and how much food assistance is delivered by humanitarian organisations. The consequences of conflict and unrest on food insecurity in Sudan and the Sahel will become starker. El Niño event will likely intensify weather extremes and will probably lead to a global reduction in the production of major staple crops, pushing food prices even higher. Whilst funding for humanitarian food crises witnessed an increasing trend in the 2016-2021 period, funding is not growing at the pace needed to tackle the increasing scale and severity of food crises. According to the GNFC, humanitarian assistance per person facing high levels of acute food insecurity has decreased in the last years. The appeals for the main food crises remain severely underfunded, and the humanitarian system overly relies on only a limited number of donors.