(VOVWORLD) - The spike in food, fuel and fertilizer prices sparked by the Ukraine crisis are pushing countries around the world into famine, bringing "global destabilization, starvation and mass migration on an unprecedented scale," a UN report said Wednesday.
 People buy wheat at in a market in N' djamena, the Chad Republic. (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
The report, "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World," says world hunger rose in 2021, with around 2.3 billion people facing moderate or severe difficulty obtaining enough to eat. The number facing severe food insecurity increased to about 924 million. The prevalence of "undernourishment" — when food consumption is insufficient to maintain an active and healthy life — is used to measure hunger, and it continued to rise in 2021.
The report estimates 22% of children under age 5 had stunted growth and development, while 6.7% or 45 million suffered from wasting, the deadliest form of malnutrition.
The intensification of the triple crises of climate, conflict, and the pandemic combined with growing inequalities require "bolder action" to cope with future shocks, said the report.