The destructive barbarism of Russia tries to scratch Ukraine from the card, but it also strikes the whole world. The shortages and the recession that started are nothing next to the coming famines: according to the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, the conflict could lead to a “collapse of the global food system”, “a hurricane of famine”.
War indeed prevents Ukraine from exporting cereals and other foodstuffs that overflow in silos, while Russian exports are hampered by various internal problems and by Russia’s desire to increase its stocks, at detriment of her Caucasus neighbors which she usually supplied and, a fortiori, of all countries depending on her exports. However, Ukraine and Russia weigh 29 % of the world trade in wheat together. Ukraine alone provides almost half of the wheat supply to the global food program. Normally, Ukraine produces enough to feed 400 million people worldwide.
The UN begged Russia to remove the blockade from the Ukrainian ports to allow cereals to be transported to countries with a vital need. Russia has not even answered. However, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, knows perfectly the disasters that will occur, in the fall and even more in 2023, if Ukraine cannot export his cereals and sow for the next harvest. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), “from eight to thirteen million additional people could suffer from undernutrition around the world in 2022-2023. The progression of malnutrition will be particularly Marked in the regions of Asia-Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa “. The director general of FAO, Quergyu, added, in a statement, that “Egypt, Turkey, Bangladesh and Iran, who are the biggest wheat importers, buy more than 60 % of their wheat to Ukraine and Russia, and import very large quantities. Lebanon, Tunisia, Yemen, Libya and Pakistan are also strongly dependent on these two countries for their wheat supply. ” >
Aggression against the world
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri urged Moscow to “immediately stop military attacks against Ukraine, before there were deep and long and long consequences term on the food security of each “. He believes that “food should never be militarized and no country in the world should be pushed to famine and despair” and also fears that this war causes significant food insecurity in Ukraine, and increases the sub nutrition in Russia. “Even if the war rages, the international community must pay particular attention to the support of family farms and small farmers in Ukraine, [because] family farms and small farmers prove to be the most adaptable and the most resilient in crisis time. “
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