Severe hunger levels are the "tip of the iceberg," and food insecurity is expected to hit people who were not at risk, says Monika Tothova, an economist with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The agricultural and food policy expert explained that if the current global food crisis drags on, many families will lose purchasing power and will need to eat less nutritious meals and reduce the number of daily meals.

"Famine levels and emergency are the tip of the iceberg, and significant deterioration is likely as many citizens have already exhausted the resilience they had," Tothova said.

"Even people who are not already at emergency food insecurity levels are likely to be affected, as their purchasing power will decline, they will need to consume less nutritious foods or skip meals, take children out of school," among other consequences, he assessed.

These com- binated possibilities will impact the health and well-being of these families, including increased malnutrition, as well as lost and stunted growth of children, Monika Tothova pointed out.

Among the most affected countries, the economist mentioned Yemen, where some 17.4 million people need food assistance.

Last year the world experienced another spike in hunger, according to the UN. According to the Global Report on Food Crises, in 2021 some 193 million people in 53 countries/territories experienced acute food insecurity, an increase of 40 million people since 2020.

Russia's war in Ukraine has upset the global food balance and is raising fears of a crisis that is already affecting the poorest countries in particular.

The FAO expert also pointed out that to achieve humanitarian funding for vital assistance, including food assistance, would require more than $70 million (447.2 million meticais) per month, citing data from the World Food Program.

Focusing on possible immediate solutions to try to curb the problem, Tothova argued that decreasing food loss and waste could improve the food balance, at least partially.

The economist also stressed the need for investment in research, development, and in productive capacity, although she pointed out that this is a long-term strategy that is not capable of solving problems quickly.