22 April

The World Food Programme says the number of people suffering acute hunger could nearly double to 265 million as the world grapples with the economic implications of the coronavirus outbreak.

The UN agency and the European Union said in a report released on Tuesday that 135 million people are facing acute food insecurity due to the effects of climate change and economic crises.

The report says the number could double by the end of this year because of the increased number of unemployed people and those whose working hours are decreasing as a result of lockdowns put in place to contain the virus across the world.

WFP says African countries where many people are facing food shortages will be the most severely affected.

WFP chief economist Arif Husain said that the economic impact of the pandemic is a hammer blow for millions who can only eat if they earn a wage and called for large-scale support from international community.

NHK