Climate shocks an 'early warning call' to act on rising hunger, UN says

One in every nine people in the world are chronically hungry, with droughts, floods and variable rainfall exacerbating the problem

Climate shocks such as droughts, floods and variable rainfall, are already causing a rise in hunger, a situation UN economists describe as an "early warning call" for action on food insecurity.

In 2017, the number of chronically hungry people in the world reached 821 million - one in every nine - according to the state of food insecurity and nutrition in 2017, a report produced by five UN agencies. The number who suffer from hunger has grown over the last three years, returning to levels from almost a decade ago.