The September update of the 2021 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) reports on the magnitude and severity of acute food insecurity in 2021 in countries that qualified as food crises in 2020 in the GRFC 2021. Using data available by 10 September 2021, this update highlights the highest number of people in Crisis or worse (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above) or equivalent in 2021. In many countries, the numbers were already higher than in 2020 as a result of the impacts of prolonged or intensifying conflict/ insecurity, economic shocks – including the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic – weather extremes, natural disasters or a combination of these drivers.