Hunger hit an all-time high in 2021, according to a report published by UN and EU agencies on Wednesday.
The UN has also predicted an even gloomier outlook as the war in Ukraine hits global food production, saying that the number of people without enough to eat on a daily basis is poised to reach "appalling" new levels.
The "toxic triple combination" of conflict, weather extremes and the economic effects of the COVID pandemic were cited as crucial to the decline in food security, the Global Network Against Food Crises, an alliance established by the EU, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program (WFP), noted.
Almost 200 million at 'acute' risk
In 2021, some 193 million people in 53 countries were at "acute" risk of hunger, data showed, a jump of almost 40 million people compared to the 2020 figure.
Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Sudan, Syria and Nigeria has contributed to the deterioration in global food security.
Climate change causing extreme weather has also exacerbated the situation.
Lack of support
The joint analysis showed that well over half a million people in Ethiopia, South Sudan, southern Madagascar and Yemen were at risk of starvation in 2021.
The UN called for additional financial support as well as stronger political will to halt the increasing numbers of people threatened by hunger around the world.