UN chief says world hunger ‘at new high’ as 22 million tonnes of grain trapped in Ukraine | World News
The United Nations Secretary-General has warned that worldwide hunger levels are “at new highs”.
Antonio Guterres is speaking at a meeting of world leaders called to discuss the escalating food security crisis.
He said the number of people facing severe food insecurity has doubled in just two years, from 135 million before the coronavirus pandemic to 276 million today.
The number of people living in conditions of starvation has increased by more than 500% since 2016 and is now more than 500,000.
“The complex security, economic and financial implications require the goodwill of all parties to reach a package deal,” Mr. Guterres said.
“I won’t go into details because public statements can reduce the chances of success.
“There is still a long way to go,” he said.
Export is suspended
The situation has been made worse in recent months by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine and Russia produce nearly a third of the world’s wheat and barley, and half of sunflower oil.
Before the war, Ukraine was one of the largest contributors to the UN World Food Program, providing enough grain to feed 400 million people.
Russia and its ally Belarus are the world’s second and third largest producers of potash – vital for fertilizers.
But the war put all of this at risk.
Exports from Russia are being disrupted as international companies leave and the logistics of transporting food become more difficult. Facing tough sanctions from Western countries, Russia may also need food for its own people.
As for Ukraine, Russian naval mines and ships have blocked ports in the Black Sea, bringing exports to a halt.
This wheat warehouse is located in the west of Ukraine – far from the center of the country’s wheat in the south. But the area has been asked to plant as many fields as possible. Photo: AP
Even before the war, the food supply for many countries had gone bad
Developing countries have been hit the hardest – many have seen pre-war record high food prices due to problems such as drought and internal conflict.
For example, Egypt, Bangladesh, Turkey, Yemen and Lebanon are the most vulnerable to Ukraine’s wheat shortage.
And even for those countries that are not dependent on wheat imports from Russia or Ukraine, shortages will continue to drive prices up.
“There is no effective solution to the food crisis without re-linking Ukraine’s food production, as well as food and fertilizer produced by Russia and Belarus, into world markets,” Guterres said. , despite the war.”
He said there were “tense contacts” with Russia and other key countries in the hope of reaching an agreement that would allow grain exports to be stored at Ukrainian ports and allow unrestricted access. Russian food and fertilizer production to world markets.
‘If you have any heart, please open these gates’
David Beasley, head of the UN’s World Food Program, was also present at the meeting and said: “Failing to open ports would be a declaration of war on global food security, leading to hunger and poverty. destabilization of nations as well as the mass migration of necessity.
“This is not just about Ukraine – this is about the poorest of the poor in the whole world, who are on the brink of famine as we speak.
“So I ask (Russian) President Putin, if you have any heart, open these ports … so that we can feed the poorest of the poor and prevent starvation , as we have done in the past, when the nations in this room moved forward together.”
Read more:
Billions of pounds of Ukrainian wheat cannot be exported amid food crisis in developing countries
War in Ukraine is exacerbating food insecurity with fears it could spark conflict in other countries
Data: Are we on the verge of a global food security crisis?
Urging countries with grain and fertilizer reserves to urgently issue
The meeting was chaired by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said the world was facing “the greatest global food security crisis of our time”.
“Governments and international organizations can also work together to force the Russian Federation to create corridors so that food and other essential supplies can safely leave Ukraine by land or sea.” .
“There is an estimated 22 million tonnes of grain currently in storage in Ukraine, food that can immediately help those in need if they can get it out of the country.”
He called on countries to provide more to humanitarian organizations and those with substantial grain and fertilizer reserves to quickly emerge.
