Nearly 282 million people in Africa - about 20% of the continent's population - are undernourished, says a new report by the African Union and three UN bodies.

The joint report also revealed that the number of undernourished Africans has increased by 57 million people since the start of Covid-19 pandemic, signalling the deterioration of Africa's food crisis.

"The majority of Africa’s population – about 78%, or more than one billion people – remain unable to afford a healthy diet, compared with 42 percent at the global level, and the number is rising," the agencies added.

The report has attributed the widespread unaffordability of healthy food to escalating food costs in recent years, particularly in Western and Eastern Africa, which have left "not only the poor but also a large proportion of people defined as non-poor" unable to maintain a healthy diet.

The agencies also said that about 30% of children under five on the continent are stunted due to malnutrition.