When a new wave of COVID-19 hit in January, Stishi's father contracted the virus and passed away shortly after. She attempted to find employment by offering housecleaning services door to door for $10, but was unsuccessful. This led to her and her children going to bed hungry for the first time. Stishi, 30, expressed frustration that others do not understand their current dire situation, as the economic impact of COVID-19 has greatly affected families like hers who were already struggling to make ends meet. Currently, in South Africa and various other nations, a larger number of individuals have been pushed to their limits. According to the World Food Program, an estimated 270 million people are at risk of facing life-threatening food shortages this year, a significant increase from 150 million before the pandemic. The analysis also revealed that the number of individuals on the verge of famine has risen to 41 million from 34 million last year. The World Food Program, along with the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, recently issued a joint report warning that conflict, economic repercussions of COVID-19, and the climate crisis are expected to escalate acute food insecurity in 23 hunger hot spots over the next four months, primarily in Africa but also in Central America, Afghanistan, and North Korea. The situation is especially dire in Africa, where new infections have risen sharply. Aid organizations have recently expressed concerns about Ethiopia and southern Madagascar, where famine is affecting a large number of people due to severe drought. Global hunger has been on the rise for years, with poor countries facing various crises such as armed conflicts and extreme poverty. Climate-related disasters like droughts and floods have also worsened, making it difficult for affected countries to respond effectively. The economic impact of the pandemic has further exacerbated the crisis, leading to long lines of people in need of food assistance in both wealthy and impoverished nations. As a new surge of the virus spreads through Africa, the traditional safety net of financial assistance from family, friends, and neighbors, which usually supports the poor in the absence of government aid, has been severely affected. This has led to a significant increase in hunger, highlighting the stark contrast between wealthy nations returning to normal and poorer countries facing deeper crises. According to Amer Daoudi, senior director of operations at the World Food Program, the current global food security situation is the worst he has ever seen, with multiple significant crises occurring simultaneously worldwide. In South Africa, a country that is typically food-secure, hunger has become widespread. Over the past year, three devastating waves of the virus have resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of breadwinners, which has left families unable to purchase food. School closures that lasted for months also eliminated free lunches for around 9 million students. A strict government lockdown last year closed informal food vendors in townships, forcing some of the country's poorest residents to travel further to buy groceries and shop at more expensive supermarkets. An estimated 3 million South Africans lost their jobs, leading to an unemployment rate of 32.6% - the highest since quarterly data collection began in 2008. In rural areas, prolonged droughts have led to the death of livestock and a decrease in farmers' incomes. The South African government has offered some assistance by introducing $24 monthly stipends and other social grants last year. However, despite these efforts, nearly 40% of all South Africans were still affected by hunger by the end of the year, as reported by an academic study. In Duncan Village, a large township in Eastern Cape province, the economic support for thousands of families has been destroyed. Prior to the pandemic, this area was bustling with activity as workers commuted to nearby East London, a city known for its stable jobs in industries like car assembly, textiles, and processed food. "We never lacked anything - we had an abundance," Anelisa Langeni, 32, remarked while seated at the kitchen table in the two-bedroom house she lived in with her father and twin sister in Duncan Village. Her father had worked as a machine operator at the Mercedes-Benz plant for almost 40 years. Upon retiring, he had saved enough money to construct two additional single-family homes on their property - rental units that he believed would offer financial security to his children. However, the pandemic disrupted these intentions. Shortly after the initial lockdown, the tenants lost their jobs and were no longer able to afford rent. When Langeni and her sister were both let go from their jobs as a waitress and at a pizza restaurant, they relied on their father's $120 monthly pension. However, their father tragically passed away in July from suspected COVID-19 while on the way to the hospital. Langeni was devastated by the loss of her father and the financial support he provided. With no job prospects, she sought assistance from two elderly neighbors, one of whom shared food bought with her husband's pension. The second neighbor began bringing food every week after her daughter's visit, often bringing enough groceries to fill the back of her gray Honda minivan. However, when a new variant of the coronavirus hit the province in November, the first neighbor's husband passed away and his pension stopped. Tragically, the second neighbor's daughter also died from the virus a month later. "I never expected things to turn out like this," said Bukelwa Tshingila, 73, as she wiped her tear-streaked cheeks. In her kitchen, a portrait of her daughter hung above an empty cupboard. In the Karoo region, located two hundred miles to the west, the impact of the pandemic has been worsened by an ongoing drought that has lasted for eight years, turning a once green landscape into a dull, gray one. Zolile Hanabe, a 70-year-old farmer on a 2,400-acre farm in the Karoo, is experiencing more than just a loss of income. His dream of owning a farm dates back to his childhood, when his father was forced to sell their goats by the apartheid government. In 2011, after working as a school principal and saving up, he finally leased a farm and purchased five cattle and 10 Boer goats, the same breed his father had raised. These animals grazed on the shrubs and drank from a river that flowed through the property. He expressed that he once believed the farm would be his legacy and something he could pass on to his children. However, by 2019, he was still leasing the farm and faced challenges such as a dried river, cattle deaths, shrivelled shrubs, and the need to buy expensive feed to keep the remaining cattle alive. The pandemic added to his difficulties, leading him to lay off two out of three farm hands to reduce the risk of infection. Feed vendors reduced their workforce and increased prices, further straining his budget. Hanabe expressed doubt about his ability to withstand both crises simultaneously.