The United Nations and two international aid charities have called for urgent assistance to be sent to the Sahel region of west and central Africa.
They say 29 million people there need help, including 1.6 million children suffering from severe malnutrition.
Attacks by Islamist militia have created what the UN called unparalleled insecurity and displaced 5.5 million people.
Food prices have soared and hunger has risen to its highest level in roughly a decade.
The six countries affected are Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad and parts of Nigeria and Cameroon.
Meanwhile, more than 30 prisoners have escaped after a police van that was transporting them to a law court was attacked by gunmen in South Africa.
KwaZulu Natal police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said police were looking for those who escaped.
