Drought coupled with the Ukraine conflict fallout could increase hunger in the Horn of Africa from 14 million people to 20 million by year's end, a UN spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the hardest-hit countries face increasing hunger if rains continue to fail, the cost of food and fuel keep soaring because of the conflict, and humanitarian funding remains low.

"The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that time is fast running out for families struggling to survive," Dujarric said. The WFP February appeal, the most recent, reaped less than 4 percent of the funds needed.