Africa is now home to more hungry people than any other region, overtaking Asia even as global hunger declined for a third consecutive year, a new United Nations report found.
About 309 million people in Africa faced hunger in 2025, compared with 292 million in Asia, according to the report titled "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026".
The hungry people account for 20 percent of Africa's population. Although the share fell slightly from 20.3 percent in 2024, the number of people affected remains the highest of any region amid rapid population growth.
The report also found that 56.6 percent of Africans experienced moderate or severe food insecurity last year, meaning they were at times unable to obtain enough food or had to compromise on its quality or quantity.
Healthy diets remain out of reach for 66.6 percent of the continent's population, more than twice the rate in Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. The report pointed to high costs across food supply chains, including processing, transport and wholesale, as a major barrier to making nutritious food more affordable.
The UN agencies called for investment in infrastructure, cold storage, irrigation and more resilient food systems to help lower costs, reduce losses and improve access to nutritious food.
Africa's hungry population tops world: UN report
Emergency measures are being put in place to help urban areas across China cope with sweltering daytime temperatures as a severe heatwave grips multiple regions of the country, with local community rest stations being set up to shield residents and provide much-needed respite to outdoor workers amid the scorching weather.
Large swathes of the country are baking as the summer heat takes hold. According to the Central Meteorological Observatory of China, eight of the top ten hottest areas nationwide on Wednesday were in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where Turpan and Toksun both recorded temperatures above 44.5 degrees Celsius.
The intense heat is unlikely to let up anytime soon, as Hami Meteorological Station has issued a red alert and is forecasting that temperatures in Hami City will exceed 40 degrees Celsius from Wednesday to Sunday.
In an effort to combat the heatwave, the local sanitation department has deployed multiple sprinkler and spray trucks to cover major roads in downtown Hami to help with dust suppression and road surface cooling, while upping the frequency of operations.
Persistent high temperatures have also affected many areas in the southwestern Sichuan Province, with some weather stations recording maximum highs exceeding 42 degrees Celsius and weather alerts being issued in numerous cities.
In Guang'an City, the mercury had already soared to 38 degrees Celsius by 10:00 Wednesday morning, pointing to a long, hot day ahead.
However, the county has opened nearly 350 'rest stations' to help local people escape the heat. These air-conditioned cooling points, equipped with fans, drinking water, emergency medicines, and seating, provide much-needed rest areas for outdoor workers such as delivery drivers and couriers, as well as to the elderly and other passersby.
"This round of high temperatures is characterized by its long duration, high temperatures, and the oppressive, muggy conditions, impacting outdoor workers and the elderly the most," said Yu Jilin, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group at the Wusheng County Federation of Trade Unions.
In the neighboring Chongqing Municipality, a red alert for high temperatures was issued on the same day.
At the exit of a busy highway in Wuxi County, heat waves shimmered on the road surface amid heavy traffic. Police officers on duty were busy checking vehicles under the scorching sun, focusing on any potential safety hazards in passenger and freight vehicles, while enduring the sizzling weather themselves.
"The main issue is the high temperature -- surface temperatures can reach over 50 degrees Celsius. Whenever we are on duty, the exhaust from passing fuel-powered vehicles feels scorching hot against our bodies," said Lin Xianyong, an auxiliary police officer.
Air-conditioned "rest stations" set up to provide respite as scorching heatwave grips China
