The world faces the greatest risk of hunger since World War II

German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze – Photo: Eurativ

Reply to newspaper Bild On May 8, German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze said that the COVID-19 pandemic, drought and war in Ukraine are pushing food prices to their highest levels ever.

“The World Food Program (WFP) says more than 300 million people are facing starvation seriously, the forecasts kept increasing. The bad forecast is that we could face the most severe famine since World War II, with millions of victims,” ​​Schulze said. globally, the highest level ever.

WFP is concerned that the conflict in Ukraine will continue to escalate food prices, disrupt supply chains, disrupt food production and worsen world hunger. Ukraine is an important cereal producer in the world, accounting for 9% of global wheat exports, 13.5% of corn and 70% of sunflower products.

Africa and the Middle East are likely to be hardest hit, due to their reliance on cheap imported cereals. A total of about 811 million people worldwide are at risk of malnutrition.

Farmers spray fertilizer on a wheat field on the outskirts of the city of Kharkov after an air strike on April 5 – Photo: REUTERS

Meanwhile, the World Bank’s (WB) economist for East Asia and the Pacific, Aaditya Mattoo, said that countries applying export control measures will cause global food prices to fall. increasing, exacerbating food crises in many countries and having lasting effects on global food trade.

At the end of April 2022, Ms. Schulze proposed creating a food security coalition of countries, donors and international organizations to respond to the crisis. For the most effective cooperation between developed and developing countries, this alliance can work on the model of the COVAX equitable vaccine distribution mechanism to distribute food in the short term while building capacity. food production of the country.