The ongoing coronavirus pandemic could double the number of people facing hunger, with children being the worst victims, warned a report released by an alliance of United Nations, governmental and non-governmental agencies.

More than 265 million people would face food insecurities as a result of the economic crisis triggered by COVID-19, a massive increase from 135 million in 2019. Malnutrition caused by the lack of food led to stunting 75 million children in 55 countries, hampering their physical and mental growth last year.

"So today, with COVID-19, I want to stress that we are not only facing a global health pandemic but also a global humanitarian catastrophe," said David Beasley, executive director of the UN World Food Program (WFP) while releasing the report.  

"Millions of civilians living in conflict-scarred nations, including many women and children, face being pushed to the brink of starvation, with the specter of famine a very real and dangerous possibility," he added.

Most of the African countries facing the onslaught of the desert locust swarms, destroying standing crops, could be worst affected. Equally vulnerable is Lebanon, which is facing a severe economic crisis, affecting millions of Syrian refugees.

The alliance has recorded the highest level of acute food insecurity and malnutrition documented by the alliance since the first edition of the report in 2017.

More than half of the 135 million people covered by the report live in Africa; 43 million live in the Middle East and Asia; 18.5 million live in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the report.

"COVID-19 is potentially catastrophic for millions who are already hanging by a thread. We all need to come together to deal with this because if we don't, the cost will be too high," said Arif Husain, chief economist and director of research, assessment and monitoring, WFP.

(Cover: Children line up for food at a feeding scheme in Lavender Hill, Cape Town South Africa, Tuesday, April 21, 2020, during the fourth week of lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. /AP)