The United Nations estimate that an extra 65 million people will need aid in 2023 – bringing the total to 339 million in 68 countries. The global body is appealing for a record $51.5bn in aid money for next year.

The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths told reporters in Geneva on Thursday, that the number of people in need is “phenomenal” and “depressing”. He added that “next year is going to be the biggest humanitarian programme” the world has ever seen.

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More than 100 million people were driven from their homes due to conflict and climate change. “Humanitarian needs are shockingly high, as this year’s extreme events are spilling into 2023,” said Griffiths. He cited the war in Ukraine and the worsening drought in Africa. Griffiths furthered the appeal by saying that the funding, for some people, is a lifeline.

It pointed out that at least 222 million people across 53 countries expect to face acute food shortages by the end of this year, with 45 million of them facing starvation.

Nine months of war between Russia and Ukraine have disrupted food chains – leading to increased food insecurity across the globe.

While this year’s appeal represents a 25% increase from last year – donor funding has already come under strain from multiple crises. The UN faces its biggest funding gap ever. Only 53% of its appeals are funded. “The needs are going up because we’ve been by smitten by the war in Ukraine, by COVID-19, by climate,” Griffiths said.