Unprecedented food shortages may spark unrest in dozens of countries as Black Sea blockade increases pressure, WFP leader says
Dozens of countries are under threat of protests, unrest and political violence this year as food costs around the world, the head of the UN’s food aid arm has warned.
Speaking Thursday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, David Beasley, director of the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP), said the world faces a “terrifying” shortage that can destabilize countries that count on wheat exports from Ukraine and Russia.
“Even before the Ukraine crisis, we were facing an unprecedented global food crisis due to covid and emerging fuel prices,” Beasley said. “So we thought it couldn’t get worse, but this war is devastating. “
Ukraine produces enough food every year to feed 400 million people. It produces 42% of the world’s sunflower oil, 16% of corn and 9% of wheat. Somalia depends on Ukraine and Russia for all its wheat imports, while Egypt gets 80% of its grain from either country.
WFP buys 40% of the wheat for its emergency food aid programmes in Ukraine and, after its operating prices rose to $70 million (£58 million) a month, forced rations to be halved in several countries.
Citing increases in the value of shipments, fertilizers and fuels as key points, due to Covid-19, the climate crisis and the war in Ukraine, Beasley said the number of other people suffering from “chronic hunger” had risen from 650 million to 810. millions in the last five years.
Beasley added that the number of other people suffering from “shock starvation” rose from 80 million to 325 million in the same period. I don’t know where your next meal will come from. “
Beasley said that after the 2007-09 economic crisis, riots and other unrest broke out in 48 countries around the world as commodities and inflation rose.
“The economic points we have are much worse than what we saw 15 years ago,” he said, adding that if the crisis is not resolved, it will lead to “famine, destabilization of nations and mass migration. “
“We’re already seeing riots in Sri Lanka and protests in Tunisia, Pakistan and Peru, and we’ve had destabilizations in places like Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad,” Beasley said. “This is a sign of things to come. “
Ukraine’s Ministry of Agriculture said more than 20 million tons of grain to be exported are trapped in the country due to Russia’s blockade of its Black Sea ports.
European leaders, in addition to French President Emmanuel Macron, suggested that Russia ease its blockade of Odessa, Ukraine’s main port, to allow grain exports.
Finally, Beasley called on the world’s other richest people to devote more of their wealth to fighting world hunger, while urging Vladimir Putin to open Odessa.
“It’s a very, very scary time,” Beasley said. We will face hell on earth if we don’t react immediately. The most productive thing we can do now is to end this damn war in Russia and Ukraine and open the port.