United Nations warns global hunger could be next big impact of Covid-19 pandemic

Almost-empty shelves where pasta would normally be stocked are pictured inside a supermarket store in north London on March 31, 2020, as life in Britain continues during the nationwide lockdown to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic. The novel coronavirus pandemic has so far claimed nearly 38,000 lives worldwide in a health crisis that is rapidly reorganising political power, hammering the global economy and the daily existence of some 3.6 billion people. 



A new UN report on food crisis has warned that global hunger could become the next big impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Over a quarter of a billion people are at risk of being pushed to the brink of starvation if swift action is not taken soon.

On Tuesday the Global Network Against Food Crises - an international alliance of United Nations, governmental, and nongovernmental agencies - released a new edition of its annual Global Report on Food Crises. The report shows that 135 million people across 55 countries and territories experienced acute food insecurity in 2019.

Conflicts, weather extremes and economic disruptions have been indicated as the key drivers that pushed tens of millions of people in West Asia, Africa and Latin America into acute food insecurity.

The UN and other experts have warned that the Covid-19 crisis will put more than a quarter of a billion people on the edge of starvation unless swift action is taken soon.

Vulnerable communities already grappling with hunger or other crises are already seeing the effects of the economic shutdown that has sent the world spiraling into recession.

The world's most vulnerable countries include those needing external food assistance and right now there are 44 countries around the world in this category: 34 in Africa, eight in Asia, and two in South America and the Caribbean.

According to the report, there is no need for the world to panic at this stage as there is enough food for everyone globally. However only if policy makers around the world take timely action, a health crisis won't be turned into an entirely avoidable food crisis.