Millions staring at famine as food insecurity soars The New Nation AlJazeera : Food insecurity in the world's poorest countries reached record highs in 2020, with millions staring at famine, a situation exacerbated in part by the COVID pandemic, according to a UN report. From Haiti to Syria, some 155 million people across 55 countries who rely the most on humanitarian assistance were classified as being in "crisis" - meaning in urgent need of food - a 20 million increase since 2019, according to the report released Wednesday. The report - based on a study organised by the Global Network Against Food Crises, a partnership between the European Union, Food and Agriculture Organization, and the UN World Food Programme - attributed three main factors to the worsening situation: conflict, economic factors related to the COVID pandemic and climate change.