The Global Network Against Food Crises sent out a dire warning that the world’s hunger crisis is about to “deteriorate further” this year alone. Chief economist at the World Food Programme (WFP) also says the global hunger crisis is “exploding.”

“The world is exploding with food insecurity” stated Arif Husain of WFP at a Wednesday press briefing. Global economic recovery from the pandemic has been slow and thwarted by many catastrophes.

World food prices have reached record highs from the disrupted harvests and exports from Ukraine due to the Russian invasion. The invasion of Ukraine “is also sparking a wave of protectionism as some exporters curb overseas crop sales to ensure local supplies” reports Bloomberg.

The war will have “severe consequences” on global food security, as millions of Ukrainians are displaced and many import-dependent countries can’t get staple crops or fertilizers from Ukraine and Russia.

Bloomberg reports:

Almost 193 million people across 53 countries or territories suffered acute food insecurity in 2021, meaning their lack of meals posed an immediate threat to their lives or livelihoods…That’s up from 155 million in 55 countries for the prior year…

Additional conflicts such as those in Afghanistan and Ethiopia have worsened crises there, and economic shocks from the Covid-19 pandemic curbed food access in almost two dozen nations, the international alliance said in a report. “Extreme weather, like severe drought in Madagascar, is also exacerbating the problem” adds Bloomberg.

“A gauge of world food prices has soared about 75% since mid-2020 — eclipsing levels seen in 2008 and 2011 that contributed to global food crises — piling pressure on governments from Sri Lanka to Peru.”