41M at imminent risk of famine, UN program says

There are 41 million people at imminent risk of famine in the world, according to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

“We now have four countries where famine-like conditions are present. Meanwhile 41 million people are literally knocking on famine’s door,” WFP’s Executive Director David Beasley said Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Problems with food security coupled with increasing prices on basic goods have led to an increase in hunger around the world in the past five years.

There are 500,000 people who are currently experiencing famine-like conditions in countries including Ethiopia, Madagascar, South Sudan and Yemen, WFP said, according to Reuters. 

Parts of Nigeria and Burkina Faso are also being plagued by famine-like conditions. 

People in 43 countries are at risk of famine and WFP is asking for donations to be able to reach the affected areas.

“We need funding and we need it now,” Beasley said.

WFP says it needs to raise $6 billion in order to help those at risk of hunger. 

The group says about 9 percent of the world goes hungry every day with that number increasing each year since 2016.

World hunger was on the decline for decades before the switch in 2016.