Acute food insecurity hits around 193 mil. people, new high: report

(Kyodo) -- Around 193 million people worldwide experienced acute food insecurity in 2021, a new high, with Russia's war in Ukraine expected to aggravate the situation, a report by international humanitarian and development groups says.

Calling for urgent international assistance, the annual Global Report on Food Crises, released May 4, looked at 53 countries and territories. The main drivers were conflicts, weather extremes, and macroeconomic shocks, mainly caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The number of people whose lives or livelihoods were in immediate danger due to inadequate food soared by 25 percent or nearly 40 million since 2020, the last record high year. The Global Network Against Food Crises has compiled the data since 2016