More than 113 million experienced “acute hunger” in 2018: UN report

The United Nations say more than 113 million people across 53 countries experienced “acute hunger” last year because of wars and climate disasters, with Africa the worst-hit region.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said this in its 2019 global report on food crises.

Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and Syria were among the eight nations accounting for two-thirds of the total number of people worldwide exposed to the risk of famine.

The report found that conflict and insecurity remained key factors, along with economic turbulence and climate-related shocks like drought and floods.

The report highlighted the strain put on countries hosting large numbers of refugees, including neighbouring nations of war-torn Syria as well as Bangladesh, which has received more than a million Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar.