“As 811 million people go to bed hungry every night, the number of those facing acute food insecurity has more than doubled - from 135 million to 276 million - since 2019. A total of 44 million people in 38 countries are teetering on the edge of famine,” the organization warned.

Stating that the hunger crisis has been caused by a deadly combination of four factors, the organization said: “Conflict is still the biggest driver of hunger, with 60 percent of the world's hungry living in areas afflicted by war and violence. Events unfolding in Ukraine are further proof of how conflict feeds hunger, forcing people out of their homes and wiping out their sources of income.

Climate shocks destroy lives, crops, and livelihoods, undermine people’s ability to feed themselves, and have displaced 30 million from their homes globally in 2020.

The economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are driving hunger to unprecedented levels.

And, last but not least, the costs of reaching people in need are rising: the price WFP is paying for food up 30 percent compared to 2019 and the cost of delivering that food has risen by an additional US$42 million a month, compared to that same year.” (ILKHA)