A record-high number of people across six countries are either already starving or on the brink of disaster, a new report warned this week.

The latest Hunger Hotspots report, produced by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), reveals that Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen remain at the ‘highest alert’ as hotspots alone account for almost a million people facing catastrophic levels of hunger.

The report calls for urgent humanitarian action for 19 hunger hotspots in total, to prevent huge loss of life between October 2022 and January 2023.

It lays out country-specific recommendations for action – short-term protective measures in advance of new humanitarian needs materializing, and emergency response to address the current situation.

According to the report, in Afghanistan, the severity of food insecurity suggests that significant loss of life may already be occurring in the outlook period, as nearly 6 million people are expected to be in Emergency conditions by November.

After this, the risk of extreme food insecurity and significant loss of life will likely grow as another harsh winter coincides with the lean season.

The report stated that one of the driving forces behind the crisis was the ongoing La Niña weather event, which has been recurring since late 2020, and is expected to continue through December 2022 before transitioning to El Niño.

This La Niña event will continue to negatively impact agricultural activities, causing crop and livestock losses in many parts of the world including Afghanistan, Western and Eastern Africa, and the Syrian Arab Republic.

In Afghanistan, the ongoing La Niña is likely to result in below‑average rainfall during the upcoming September to February period, coinciding with the wheat‑planting and mid‑growing season.

In addition, expected warmer‑than‑average temperatures and a potential low snowpack in winter could reduce water availability for irrigation, the report stated.

This will come on top of two consecutive dry seasons since late 2020.

The report stated the economic contraction that followed the collapse of the former government, coupled with the impact of below‑average harvests, is increasing levels of hunger across the country.

WFP and FOA say concerns remain at the highest level for Afghanistan, as the country is also dealing with the effects of a deep economic crisis, exacerbated by increasing food, fuel and agricultural input prices, the freeze of Afghan assets and very high levels of accumulated household debt.

However, the report states that decreased conflict levels in Afghanistan have slightly improved the access of humanitarian organizations to people in need, but the presence of landmines, improvised explosive devices and explosive remnants of war, operatio all challenges, and poor infrastructure continue to constrain humanitarian access.