NEW DELHI:  "A fraction of billionaires’ net worth can save 42 million from starvation death," World Food Programme (WFP) David Beasley said in an interview with Becky Anderson on the CNN's Connect the World on Tuesday, further adding, "Billionaires needed to step up on a one-time basis," he added.

Beasley pointed at the small group of ultra-wealthy individuals, specifically naming the two richest men in the world – Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk – saying that they could help solve world hunger with just a fraction of their net worth. 

A 'perfect storm' of several crises, including climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, etc, meant that many nations were 'knocking on famine’s door,' the WFP chief explained, adding that it would require $6 billion to help 42 million people that were, "literally going to die if we don’t reach them." 

This amounts to just 2 per cent of Tesla Chief Executive Musk’s net worth of $289 billion. 

The net worth of US billionaires has almost doubled since the pandemic began, according to studies, while countries like Afghanistan are on the brink of a humanitarian crisis with acute hunger, unemployment and liquidity shortages. 

Beasley also directed focus on climate change’s devastating effects while taking Central America as an example. Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua have seen multiple hurricanes and flash floods in the last year. 

"The effects of climate change will be wide-reaching and will pose problems for every government, according to a series of new reports from the Biden administration," he said.

The page seeking donations for the WFP Hunger program starts by saying, "Today, 690 million people around the world will go to bed on an empty stomach. But your gift means that one less child will be at risk of starvation tonight."

It also says, "Every single day, WFP has 5,600 trucks, 30 ships and nearly 100 planes ready to deliver the food you send. Because you can't go there and hand out the food yourself, we do it for you."