New Delhi, December 10: World Food Programme (WFP), an agency affiliated to the United Nations, has warned of an impending "hunger pandemic" next year that could be worse than the COVID-19 crisis. The warning comes from a humanitarian organisation which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year for its contribution towards addressing the global hunger.

The warning was issued by the WFP while receiving the Nobel prize at an event organised by the Norwegian committee in Oslo. David Beasley, a representative from the WFP headquarters in Rome, claimed that nearly 270 million persons could be affected by extreme hunger in 2021. Global Hunger Index 2020: India Ranks 94th in List of 107 Countries; Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal Fare Better.

Update by AFP

The numbers amount to the combined population of Germany, Britain, France and Italy. The reason behind such a vast majority being forced to brink of starvation is geopolitics, sanctions, war and the coronavirus pandemic, the WFP representative said.

"Because of so many wars, climate change, the widespread use of hunger as a political and military weapon, and a global health pandemic that makes all of that exponentially worse — 270 million people are marching toward starvation," Beasley was reported as saying.

The food agency faces an enormous task at a time when a significant portion of the world is staring at extreme hunger crisis, she said, adding that nearly 30 percent of the 270 million-vulnerable group is dependent on "100 percent assistance" from the WFP for their food requirements.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 10, 2020 06:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).