UN Secretary-General António Guterres has stepped up pressure on Russia over the blockade of Ukrainian grain in the face of historic numbers of starving people around the world. “Russia must allow the safe export of grain stored in Ukrainian ports,” Guterres said Wednesday at a US-organized meeting of foreign ministers at the United Nations in New York.
According to German sources, Russia is blocking the export of 20 million tons of grain in Ukraine, much of it in the port of Odessa. Guterres said it was necessary to bring Ukraine’s all-important grain producer back onto the world market, as well as food and fertilizers produced by Russia and Belarus.
The war that Russia started threatens to plunge tens of millions into food insecurity and spark a crisis “that could last for years.” According to Guterres, Ukraine and Russia together produce nearly a third of the world’s wheat and barley and half of the world’s sunflower oil.
Food insecurity doubled
According to the United Nations, global hunger has reached a new high: “In just two years, the number of people living with severe food insecurity has doubled, from 135 million before the pandemic to 276 million today,” Guterres said. More than half a million people are at risk of starvation – five times more than in 2016. In addition to Covid-19, the climate crisis and finally the war in Ukraine have recently exacerbated the situation.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
