UN says number of people going hungry in world spiked during 2016

The number of starving people in the world spiked in 2016, after ten years of a steady increases according to a report issued by the United Nations (UN).

According the report published on Friday by UN's the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Food Program (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the amount of people starving has increased by 38 million, increasing the total number of those going without food 815 million.

This is equal to 11 percent of the world's population, according to new food security report issued by the UN.

Out of 815 million people who have suffered from hunger in 2016, 489 million are living in conflict-stricken countries.

According to the report, the number of people in a state of hunger jumped from 777 million in 2015 to 815 million in 2016.

The report emphasised that conflict is one of the main drivers for the dramatic increase in hunger across the world, including in Syria and Yemen.

In July, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Jamie McGoldrick said many are living on just one basic meal a day.

"The average person lives on tea and bread. It's just one meal a day. They are in a weakened state, and that is why they are getting sick."

The UN has also said it needs $2.1 billion for its work in Yemen this year, highlighting that although it is attempting to increase aid to the victims as the crisis persists.

The UN had also called on Saudi Arabia to provide aid to Yemen.

"Saudi Arabia should fund 100 percent of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen," David Beasley, executive director of WFP said.

"Either stop the war or fund the crisis. Option three is, do both of them," he added.

More than 10,000 civilians have been killed and 47,800 wounded since the Saudi-led coalition joined the Yemen conflict in March 2015, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Earlier this year, UN Chief Antonio Guterres said the UN was in need of $4.4 billion in emergency funding to deal with global starving, in the face of humanitarian groups struggling to meet needs in Syria and cope with the global refugee crisis.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 when the Baath regime led by President Bashar al-Assad, responded with military force to peaceful protests demanding democratic reforms during the Arab Spring wave of uprisings.