Hotspot countries now total 22, a rise from 18, according to the report, which is produced periodically by WFP and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

This very description can be applied to Burkina Faso, Haiti, Mali and Sudan – which have been elevated to the highest alert level in the latest UN Hunger Hotspots report, joining Afghanistan, Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen.

Both FAO and WFP called for immediate international action to save lives and livelihoods in places where acute hunger is expected to worsen from June to November this year.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said the world cannot continue on the same path if it truly seeks food security for all, and no one is left behind, so immediate agricultural actions are urgently needed to aid those on the brink of hunger rebuild their lives.

Dongyu added that investments must also be made in disaster risk reduction in the agricultural sector to increase the resilience of communities.

WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain also noted that not only are more people going hungry, but the severity of hunger is worse than ever, hence her call to act now to save lives, help people adapt to climate change and prevent famine.

The report meant that according to meteorologists, there is an 82% chance that El Niño will occur in mid-2023, which would have worrisome implications in several hotspots.

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