‘Knocking on famine’s door’: UN food chief wants action now

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. food chief is warning that the world is facing “a perfect storm on top of a perfect storm” when it comes to hunger. David Beasley is urging donors to give a few days of profits to tackle a crisis with the fertilizer supply right now and prevent widespread food shortages next year. Beasley says that when he took the helm of WFP 5 1/2 years ago, only 80 million people around the world were headed toward starvation. But climate problems increased that to 135 million. The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in early 2020, doubled it. Finally, Russia invaded Ukraine in February, sparking a crisis that has pushed the number to 345 million.