U.N. officials released a 2021 humanitarian plan on Tuesday that projects 235 million people worldwide will need aid, an astonishing 40% increase from this year due to the pandemic, conflicts and climate change.
The projected increase above the 167.7 million people included in the 2020 plan reflects the massive challenges the world faces in battling a COVID-19 pandemic that has infected 64 million people and killed 1.4 million. It has raised food prices, deprived people of jobs and income, and closed schools and businesses, but the hardest-hit are those among the poorest nations.