The risk of mass starvation in northeast Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen is rapidly rising due to drought and conflict
The United Nations refugee agency says some 20 million people live in hard-hit areas where harvests have failed and malnutrition rates are increasing, particularly among young children
In South Sudan alone where the U.N. declared famine in some areas in February, a further 1 million people are now on the brink of famine
People are on the run within their countries and there are also greater numbers of South Sudanese refugees fleeing to Sudan and Uganda
The body is scaling up its operations but is stymied by a severe funding shortfall, with some of the country programmes only funded at between 3 and 11 percent
