War, extreme weather and COVID-19 left record numbers without enough food in 2021

The UN said the number of people without adequate food every day increased by 40 million last year, confirming a "worrisome trend" of annual increases over several years.

The figures appeared in the, which is produced jointly by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, the World Food Program (WFP) and the European Union.

Countries experiencing protracted conflicts, including Afghanistan, Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, had the most food-insecure populations, according to the report.

The report forecasts Somalia will face one of the world's worst food crises in 2022 due to prolonged drought, increasing food prices and persistent violence.

"If more is not done to support rural communities, the scale of the devastation in terms of hunger and lost livelihoods will be appalling," the UN said.

"Urgent humanitarian action is needed on a massive scale to prevent that from happening."

The war in Ukraine poses further risks for Somalia and many other African countries that rely on Ukraine and Russia for wheat, fertiliser and other food supplies.

Even before the war, people were dealing with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced incomes.

Food prices were at a 10-year high and fuel prices at a seven-year high, Mr Husain told reporters at UN headquarters in New York at a virtual press conference.