People suffering from acute food insecurity reach 340 million worldwide, says WFP

By: News Team

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The number of people facing acute food insecurity around the world has more than doubled to 345 million since 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict and climate change, the World Food Program (WFP) said on Wednesday.

Before the coronavirus crisis, 135 million were suffering from acute hunger worldwide, Corinne Fleischer, WFP regional director, told Reuters, adding that she expects the numbers to skyrocket further due to climate change and conflict.

The impact of environmental challenges is another destabilizing factor that can drive food shortages and lead to conflict and mass migration.

“The world just can’t afford this,” Fleischer said. “Now we see 10 times more displacement around the world due to climate change and conflict, and of course they are interlinked. So we are really worried about the combined effect of COVID, climate change and the war in Ukraine.”

In the Middle East and North Africa, the impact of the Ukraine crisis has had enormous repercussions, Fleischer said, underlining both the region’s dependence on imports and its proximity to the Black Sea.

WFP helps 13 of the 16 million people who need food assistance, but only covers half of a person’s daily needs due to lack of funds.

Costs have risen 45% since the COVID pandemic began, and Western donors have faced huge economic problems with the Ukraine war.

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