Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- According to the UN World Food Programme, over the past two years, the number of people experiencing food insecurity has more than doubled to 276 million, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said.

There is a real risk of famine in various regions this year. This was stated by UN Secretary General António Guterres, speaking on Friday via video link at the G7 ministerial meeting on global food security.

“We are facing an unprecedented crisis of world hunger. The conflict in Ukraine has exacerbated problems that have been piling up for years: climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and a deeply unequal recovery, Guterres said. “That became clear when I visited the Sahel region last month. Leaders [of countries in the region] have warned that if we do not act now, a dangerous situation could turn into a catastrophe. The Horn of Africa is suffering from the worst drought in decades."

According to the UN World Food Program, the number of people experiencing food insecurity has more than doubled over the past two years to 276 million, he said. “There is a real risk that a famine will be declared this year. 2023 could be even worse,” the Secretary General said.

“The main costs for farmers are fertilizer and energy. Fertilizer prices have risen by more than half over the past year, and energy prices by more than two-thirds, he said. - All crops will be affected, including rice and corn, affecting billions of people in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. This year’s problems with access to food could turn into food shortages next year. No country is immune from the socio-economic consequences of such a catastrophe.”