The humanitarian situation in Syria is set to worsen unless more international aid is able to reach the population, the United Nations food agency chief told the Associated Press ahead of an international donor conference next week. 

World Food Program (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley told the AP an increasing number of Syrians, at least one million, are "literally on the brink of starvation.” A further 9.3 million people go to bed hungry. 

Next week in Brussels, the European Union will host a virtual conference of global leaders in hopes of finding solutions to Syria’s ongoing war and raising billions in much-needed aid. The conference comes as Syria’s currency is crashing to historic lows and inflation is skyrocketing, dealing a further blow to the 83 percent of the population who already live below the poverty line. 

The WFP’s Syria program, which distributes emergency food assistance to families, faces a $200 million shortfall this year. Without additional support, Syrians "are going to do what it takes to feed their children, which means they will migrate," Beasley said, comparing the situation to the refugee crisis of 2015.