United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a potential worldwide hunger crisis amid the global food shortage that was exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine war that has left more than 20 million tons of grain stuck in the latter.
The UN chief cautioned on Friday that the world faces a "catastrophe" after the war on Ukraine added to disruptions caused by climate change, the coronavirus pandemic, and inequality that have led to an "unprecedented global hunger crisis" already affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
Global Food Shortage
He said that there was a real risk that multiple famines will be declared this year, noting that 2023 could be even worse. Guterres made his remarks in a video message that was sent to officials from dozens of rich and developing countries gathered in Berlin.
The official noted that harvests across Asia, Africa, and the Americas will take a hit as farmers around the world struggle to cope with rising fertilizer and energy prices. Guterres added that food access issues this year will result in next year's global food shortage. The UN chief argued that no country will be immune to the social and economic repercussions of such an incident, as per the Associated Press.
The official added that UN negotiators were already working on a deal that would enable Ukraine to export food, including via the Black Sea. They seek to allow Russia to bring food and fertilizer to world markets without restrictions.
Guterres also called for debt relief for poor countries to help keep their economies afloat and for the private sector to help stabilize global food markets. The host of the Berlin meeting, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, said that Moscow's claim that Western sanctions imposed on Russia were to blame for food shortages was "completely untenable."
According to Reuters, under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which is a scale used by UN agencies, regional bodies, and aid groups to determine food insecurity, more than 460,000 people in Somalia, Yemen, and South Sudan are in famine conditions. This process of identification is the step before a declaration of famine in a region.
Ukrainian Wheat Export
The IPC also noted that millions of people in 34 other countries are already on the brink of famine. Guterres argued that there could be no effective solution to the crisis unless Ukraine and Russia, which are responsible for producing roughly 29% of global wheat exports, find a way to properly resume trade.
Shipments from Ukrainian ports have been halted by Russia's invasion of its European neighbor and Moscow wants certain Western sanctions lifted before it allows the resumption of its grain and fertilizer exports.
While Ukraine continues to ship out its grain west, through Europe, infrastructure challenges and a raging war mean that it is only a fraction of what it could be otherwise. The managing director of shipping company MSC Ukraine, Rachid Bouda, noted that the company typically shipped about 10,000 containers each month from Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea, like Odesa and Chornomorsk.
But now, with all of the hurdles and Russia's blockade of trade routes, that number has dwindled down to 1,000 or maybe 1,500 containers. What's worse is that these shipments are unable to leave Ukrainian ports, Vox reported.
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