155m people faced acute hunger in 2020, says UN

A report by 16 organisations says 133,000 needed urgent food to prevent widespread death from starvation – and the outlook for 2021 is equally grim or worse

UNITED NATIONS

At least 155 million people faced acute hunger in 2020, including 133,000 who needed urgent food to prevent widespread death from starvation -- and the outlook for 2021 is equally grim or worse, a report by 16 organisations said on Wednesday.

The report, which focuses on 55 countries that account for 97 per cent of humanitarian assistance, said the magnitude and severity of food crises last year worsened as a result of protracted conflicts, the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, and weather extremes that exacerbated “pre-existing fragilities.”

The 155 million people faced “crisis,” “emergency” or “catastrophe/famine” levels of food needs, an increase of around 20 million people from 2019, it said.

According to the report, two-thirds of the people in those crisis levels were in 10 countries -- Congo, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, northern Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Zimbabwe and Haiti.

The 133,000 facing starvation, death and destitution were in Burkina Faso, South Sudan and Yemen.