When a new wave of COVID-19 struck in January, Stishi's father caught the virus and passed away soon after. Despite her efforts to find work by offering housecleaning services for $10, she was unsuccessful. As a result, Stishi and her children are experiencing hunger for the first time. Stishi, 30, expressed her frustration at trying to explain their new situation to others, as the pandemic has left many without work. This economic crisis, which has been ongoing for over a year, has severely impacted families like Stishi's who were already struggling to make ends meet. Currently, a larger number of people in South Africa and other countries are experiencing severe food shortages compared to before the pandemic. An estimated 270 million individuals are at risk of facing life-threatening hunger this year, which is significantly higher than the 150 million reported before the pandemic. The number of people on the verge of famine has also increased to 41 million people from 34 million the previous year. The World Food Program, in collaboration with the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, recently issued a warning that conflict, economic impacts of COVID-19, and climate change are expected to worsen acute food insecurity in 23 vulnerable regions over the next four months, primarily in Africa but also in Central America, Afghanistan, and North Korea. The situation is particularly dire in Africa, where new cases of infection have risen sharply. Aid organizations have recently expressed concerns about Ethiopia and southern Madagascar, where famine is affecting a high number of people due to severe drought. Global hunger has been on the rise as poor countries face various crises, including armed conflicts and extreme poverty. Climate-related disasters like droughts and floods have also worsened, making it difficult for countries to respond effectively. The economic impacts of the pandemic have further exacerbated the crisis, leading to long lines of people waiting outside food distribution centers in both wealthy and impoverished nations. The latest surge of the virus in Africa has devastated the informal safety net that the world's poor rely on, such as financial assistance from loved ones and neighbors, further exacerbating the already dire situation. Hunger has now become a prominent issue, highlighting the stark contrast between affluent countries returning to normalcy and struggling nations sinking deeper into crisis. Amer Daoudi, senior director of operations at the World Food Program, expressed deep concern about the current global food security situation, noting that several significant crises are occurring simultaneously worldwide. In South Africa, a typically food-secure nation in Africa, hunger has spread throughout the country. In the past year, three severe waves of the virus have caused the loss of many breadwinners, leading to families being unable to afford food. School closures lasting months have resulted in around 9 million students losing access to free lunches. A strict government lockdown last year closed down informal food vendors in townships, causing some of the poorest residents to have to travel further to buy groceries from more expensive supermarkets. Approximately 3 million South Africans have become unemployed, raising the unemployment rate to 32.6%, the highest since 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, by the end of the year, almost 40% of South Africans were still experiencing hunger, as reported by an academic study. In Duncan Village, a large township in the Eastern Cape province, the economic support for many families has been wiped out. Prior to the pandemic, the area was bustling with workers heading to nearby East London, which was known for its stable jobs in industries such as car assembly, textiles, and processed food. "We were always well-off - we had an abundance," remarked Anelisa Langeni, 32, as she sat at the dining 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. When he retired, he had saved enough money to construct two additional single-family homes on their property - rental properties that he hoped would offer financial security for his children. However, the pandemic disrupted those plans. Shortly after the initial lockdown, the tenants lost their jobs and were no longer able to pay rent. When Langeni was let go from her position as a waitress at a seafood restaurant, along with her sister losing her job at a well-known pizza place, they relied on their father's $120 monthly pension. Unfortunately, in July, he fell ill with a cough and fever and passed away on the way to the hospital, possibly due to COVID-19. Langeni was devastated by the news, feeling like she had lost everything. Without any job prospects, she sought assistance from two elderly neighbors, one of whom provided her with food bought with her husband's pension. The neighbor from across the street began bringing food every week after her daughter's visit, bringing enough grocery bags to fill up the back of her gray Honda minivan. However, when a new strain of the coronavirus hit the province in November, the first neighbor's husband passed away, and his pension stopped. Tragically, the other neighbor's daughter also succumbed to the virus a month later. Bukelwa Tshingila, 73, expressed her disbelief at the situation, tearfully stating, "I never imagined it would be like this." In her kitchen, a portrait of her late daughter hung above an empty cupboard. Two hundred miles to the west, in the Karoo region, the impact of the pandemic has been worsened by an ongoing drought that has lasted for eight years. This has resulted in a once green landscape now turning into a dull, gray color. Zolile Hanabe, a 70-year-old farmer, is witnessing not only a decline in his income but also a personal connection to the land. Hanabe has had a lifelong dream of owning his own farm, dating back to when his father was forced to sell their goats by the apartheid government when he was just a child. In 2011, after years of hard work as a school principal, he was finally able to lease a farm and purchase cattle and goats, the same breed his father had raised. They grazed on the shrubs and drank from a river that ran through the property. He expressed that he had initially believed the farm would be his legacy to pass on to his children. However, by 2019, he was still leasing the farm and faced challenges such as a dried river, cattle deaths, and shrivelled shrubs due to intensifying drought. In order to keep his remaining cattle alive, he had to purchase feed costing $560 per month. Additionally, the pandemic worsened his situation, leading him to lay off two of his three farm hands to reduce the risk of infection. Feed vendors also reduced their workforce and increased prices, putting more strain on his finances. Hanabe expressed doubt about his ability to weather both crises simultaneously.