UN calls for immediate action to end food crisis
In the second report on the impact of the war in Ukraine released this week, the United Nations warned of consequences with Food Securityenergy, finance is systemic, severe and accelerating, with 1.6 billion people affected.
“New Reality”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in the release of the latest report on the impact of the Ukrainian conflict on food, energy and financial security that the spillovers from the Ukrainian war had created the crisis. severe cost of living that no country or community can avoid.
An estimated 1.6 billion people in 94 countries are facing at least one aspect of the crisis, with around 1.2 billion living in countries severely vulnerable to all three. food, energy and financial security, according to the Global Crisis Response Team (GCRG).
The report calls for stabilizing record-high food and fuel prices, implementing social safety nets and increasing financial support for developing countries.
The message is clear and consistent: States must act now to save lives and livelihoods. Three months after Russia launched hostilities in Ukraine “we are faced with a new reality”, he stressed.
“For people around the world, hostilities are threatening to trigger unprecedented hunger, leading to economic and social chaos,” he added.
Furthermore, the crisis is intensifying the consequences of other challenges facing countries, such as the climate emergency, the COVID-19 pandemic, and resource inequality in post-pandemic recovery. .
According to the report, the increase in hunger since the outbreak of hostilities is likely to be higher and more widespread. The number of people with severe food insecurity has doubled, from 135 million before the pandemic, to 276 million in just two years. The effects of the war could push this number up to 323 million.
The head of the United Nations Trade and Development Agency (UNCTAD) Rebeca Grynspan, co-head of the GCRG on finance, said the world was in a “race against time” and inaction would cost money. less than looking for a solution. The cost-of-living crisis could spark a “cycle of social unrest that leads to political instability,” she warned.
About 60% of workers worldwide have lower real incomes than they did before the pandemic, meaning families are having to choose between skipping meals, sending children to school or paying for medical expenses. “The current food crisis could quickly turn into a global food disaster by 2023,” Grynspan warned.
Higher energy costs and trade restrictions on fertilizer supplies from the Black Sea region cause fertilizer prices to rise even faster than food prices. If the fighting continues, and the high prices of grains and fertilizers carry over into the next crop, she points out, shortages of other staples like rice will ensue, affecting billions of people worldwide, she pointed out. .
“Package deal” with export
The UN report makes clear that the impact of war on food, energy and financial security is systemic, severe and accelerating, Secretary-General António Guterres noted.
Although ending the conflict is the only way to prevent this storm of consolidation, the UN chief called for immediate action on two fronts: Stabilizing global food and energy markets; assist poorer countries during the crisis.
António Guterres said Ms Grynspan and UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths would coordinate the two task forces to find a “bundle deal” that would allow Ukrainian-produced food to be exported. safely and securely across the Black Sea, while Russia’s food and fertilizers will have unfettered access to the global market.
Top officials have begun working closely with parties in Russia, Ukraine as well as in Turkey, the European Union and the United States on this issue.
Stressing that there is no solution to the global crisis when the economic crisis in developing countries cannot be resolved, the head of the United Nations – António Guterres – called for greater resources to help countries. poorest countries and communities in the world at the moment. “The global financial system must rise above its shortcomings and use all tools, with flexibility and understanding, to provide support to vulnerable countries and populations.” he pointed out.
“Ukrainian food production, Russian-made food and fertilizers must be brought back to the world market despite hostilities,” Secretary-General António Guterres said.
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