This year, more people will die from hunger caused by the coronavirus pandemic than from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
That is according to the charity Oxfam which has said an estimated 122 million more people could face starvation because of reductions in aid, mass unemployment and the disruption of food production and supplies.
It also described middle-income countries such as India, Brazil and South Africa as "emerging epicentres of hunger" with millions of people facing being "tipped over the edge" by the social and economic effects of the crisis.
Oxfam said some of the world's poorest countries could see 12,000 extra deaths a day due to hunger before the end of the year - this is more than the peak global coronavirus death rate of 10,000 a day in April, the charity said
So, can a disaster be avoided?
Presenter: Laura Kyle
Guests:
Chema Vera - Oxfam International executive director
Waleed Althujiry - member of Yemeni society for emergency and disaster medicine
Reem Nada - World Food Programme regional communications officer
