Paris - The worst of the instability and rioting caused by the skyrocketing cost of staple foods may yet come, International Monetary Fund (IMF) head Dominique Strauss-Kahn told a French radio station on Friday.

"The worst of the crisis may be before us," Strauss-Kahn, a former French finance minister, told Europe 1 radio. "Hundreds of millions of people will be affected."

The IMF head also said that democratically elected governments may be toppled because of the crisis, even though they enacted correct policies.

Strauss-Kahn also invoked the possibility of regional warfare provoked by the rising cost of foods such as maize, rice and wheat. "History is full of wars that began because of events like this," he warned.

High staple-food prices recently sparked violence in several countries, including Egypt and Haiti. (dpa)