Stephen O'Brien

UN: World facing greatest humanitarian crisis since 1945

UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien said that more than 20 million people faced the threat of starvation and famine in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria.

Unicef has already warned 1.4m children could starve to death this year.

Mr O'Brien said $4.4bn (£3.6bn) was needed by July to avert disaster.

"We stand at a critical point in history," Mr O'Brien told the Security Council on Friday. "Already at the beginning of the year we are facing the largest humanitarian crisis since the creation of the United Nations."

VIDEO: UN humanitarian chief visits Yemen

At a camp in Amran Province, 60 kilometres (37.2 miles) north of the capital Sanaa, he spoke to women and children displaced by the fighting.

Some 1.3 million people have fled their homes during the recent conflict, according to Red Cross figures.

The United Nations says 80 per cent of Yemenis - about 21 million people- are in need of humanitarian assistance.