India, July 17 -- An estimated 2.7 million additional people across 26 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) were pushed into moderate to severe food insecurity because of more frequent droughts and heatwaves in 2023, while 4.4 billion potential work hours were lost to extreme heat in 2024, the highest annual loss since tracking began in 1990, according to a new report.

Heatwaves were associated with a 5.74 percentage point increase in food insecurity, while droughts contributed an additional 3.53 percentage point increase. Lower income households and countries heavily dependent on imported food were found to be particularly vulnerable.

Released ahead of this year's Pacific pre-Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings, the 2025 Lancet C...