The world is threatened by a famine of "biblical proportions" caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the United Nations has warned.
David Beasley, head of the World Food Program (WFP), said urgent action was needed to avert disaster.
This UN agency estimates that the number of people who are starving could almost double, from 135 to more than 250 million, the BBC reports.
Ten countries affected by conflicts, economic crisis and climate change are at the greatest risk.
The fourth annual global food crisis report lists Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Nigeria and Haiti as being at risk of famine.
In South Sudan, 61 percent of the population was affected by the food crisis last year, according to the report.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, parts of East Africa and South Asia had been facing severe food shortages caused by drought for decades.
Addressing the UN Security Council during a video conference, Beasley said the world must act wisely and quickly.
"We could be facing a famine of biblical proportions within months," Beasley said.
WFP Senior Economist Arif Husain said the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic could be catastrophic for millions of people "already hanging in the balance".
"It's a hammer blow to millions of people who can only eat if they earn. It only takes one more shock like Covid-19 to push them over the edge. We need to act collectively to mitigate the impact of this global disaster," said Husain.
A particularly difficult situation in Yemen
Earlier, the WFP announced that due to the funding crisis, it will cut aid to parts of war-torn Yemen, which are under the control of the Houthi rebels, in half.
Some donors were said to have halted aid due to concerns that Houthi forces were interfering with the delivery.
WFP sends food every month to more than 12 million Yemenis, 80 percent of whom are in areas controlled by Houthi forces.
The first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in Yemen this month, and aid agencies have warned that the disease could quickly overwhelm the country's weakened health system.
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