THE DEPTH of Venezuela’s political and economic crisis can be measured in many ways. Economic output in the country has plummeted. More than 4m Venezuelans have fled to Colombia, Peru and elsewhere. The country’s health-care system has collapsed, contributing to outbreaks of malaria, dengue fever, Zika and other infectious diseases. Another grim statistic can be added to the list: more than one in five Venezuelans are undernourished. The country accounts for nearly all of the recent growth in hunger in South America.

According to a new report from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the number of undernourished people in the region—those whose food consumption falls below the levels needed for an active and healthy life—grew by half a million people in 2018, to more than 23m. The rise in hunger in recent years, according to the FAO, is due “above all” to the economic crisis in Venezuela. Since 2013, the rate of undernourishment in the country has increased nearly fourfold, from 6.4% of the population to 21.2%. This has coincided with a collapse in growth of GDP per person, placing Venezuela alongside war-torn countries such as Yemen and Syria (see chart).

Other humanitarian groups are voicing concerns. A report released this month by the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), says Venezuela is “violating its obligations to ensure the rights to food and health”. The agency notes that some Venezuelans report queuing for food for ten hours per day. Those who speak out against the government of President Nicolás Maduro say they are denied food rations.