[ti:UN: More People Hungry than Ever Before in 2021] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:01.96]The United Nations said Wednesday [00:04.88]that the number of people without enough food to eat daily [00:09.96]reached an all-time high last year. [00:14.32]The organization noted that the situation is getting worse [00:19.00]as the war in Ukraine affects food production worldwide. [00:25.44]Almost 193 million people in 53 countries [00:31.12]suffered from what the U.N. called food insecurity in 2021. [00:38.64]It was caused by conflict, extreme weather, [00:42.48]and the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. [00:48.60]The U.N. said the total number of people [00:51.84]without enough food to eat daily [00:54.60]increased by 40 million over the period. [00:59.24]It confirmed a "worrisome trend" of yearly increases. [01:05.12]The numbers appeared in the Global Report on Food Crisis. [01:10.44]The report is produced jointly [01:13.20]by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, [01:16.68]the World Food Program, and the European Union. [01:22.32]Countries experiencing extended conflicts, [01:25.48]including Afghanistan, Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, [01:32.08]South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, [01:35.12]had the most food-insecure populations, the report said. [01:40.92]The report predicts that Somalia [01:43.36]will face one of the world's worst food crises in 2022. [01:49.16]The African country faces prolonged drought, [01:52.64]increasing food prices, and continuing violence. [01:57.64]These problems could lead 6 million Somalis [02:01.20]into a severe food crisis, the U.N. said. [02:06.04]"Today, if more is not done to support rural communities, [02:10.24]the scale of the devastation in terms of hunger [02:14.40]and lost livelihoods will be appalling," the U.N. said. [02:20.60]The organization added urgent action is needed [02:24.28]"to prevent that from happening." [02:27.52]The war in Ukraine has resulted in more risks for Somalia [02:32.04]and many other African countries. [02:35.68]They depend on Ukraine and Russia for wheat, [02:39.44]fertilizer, and other food supplies. [02:43.40]Rein Paulsen heads one of the Food and Agriculture Organization's offices. [02:49.84]He said the war in Ukraine is a "real cause for concern" [02:54.80]and increases "the acute food needs [02:58.08]that exist in these food crisis countries." [03:02.40]The U.N. previously said the war was pushing prices for grains [03:06.92]and vegetable oils to record highs, [03:10.28]threatening millions with hunger and malnourishment. [03:14.76]The report called for greater investment in agriculture [03:18.56]and appealed for $1.5 billion to help farmers in at-risk areas. [03:26.52]The money would help in the upcoming planting season [03:29.80]to stabilize and increase local food production. [03:34.68]I'm Jill Robbins. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM