Santiago, Dec 1 (IANS): The number of people suffering from hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) rose by 13.8 million in 2020, or by 2 per cent points, to reach 59.7 million people, according to a UN study released in Santiago in Chile.

The report titled "Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2021: Statistics and Trends", published on Tuesday, shows regional hunger is at its highest level since 2000, following a 30 percent jump from 2019 to 2020 in the number of people suffering from hunger, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We must say it loud and clear: Latin America and the Caribbean face a critical situation in terms of food security," regional representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Julio Berdegue said in a statement on Tuesday.

Rossana Polastri, the regional director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), said that while the pandemic aggravated the situation, hunger in the region has been on the rise since 2014.

"We must correct the deep vulnerabilities of our food systems, make them more inclusive and sustainable, and ensure that they provide well-being to the people who feed our societies," Polastri said.

LAC's hunger rate currently stands at 9.1 per cent, the highest in 15 years, although slightly below the global average of 9.9 per cent.

The study is a joint publication of the FAO, IFAD, Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation, World Food Programme and UN Children's Fund.