The phrase "starvation level" refers to a very extreme level of hunger or lack of food. It implies that a person or group is completely deprived of enough sustenance to survive and is in a critical and life-threatening situation. Full definition
The fast results of many popular diets are based on starvation level food intake. (dietsinreview.com)
Now large families are viewed as an act of irresponsible parenthood in an overcrowded, frontierless world facing a shortage of food that reaches starvation levels. (religion-online.org)
The three groups kept the animals on tight rations, but well above starvation levels. (sciencemag.org)