Side effect of the Russian invasion: war in Ukraine could lead to food riots in poor countries
Rocketing global food prices as a result of the war in Ukraine could trigger riots from those going hungry in poor countries, the head of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said.
She warned food-producing countries against hoarding supplies and said it was vital to avoid a repeat of the Covid pandemic, when rich countries were able to secure for themselves the bulk of vaccines.
The WTO director general expressed concern about the knock-on effects of Russia’s invasion – stressing the dependence of many African countries on food supplies from the Black Sea region.
Okonjo-Iweala, a former Nigerian finance minister, said 35 African countries were dependent on food imported from the Black Sea region, adding that Russia and Ukraine were responsible for 24% of global supplies of wheat.
According to experts, after being strongly critical of the “vaccine apartheid” that affected Africa during the pandemic, WTO member states had to resist the temptation of protecting their own food stocks.
– It is a natural reaction to keep what you have – we saw that with vaccines. But we shouldn’t make the same mistake with food, – they said.
The WTO director-general said she was worried Ukraine’s planting season would be disrupted by the conflict and that supplies of fertiliser would also be limited.
Ukraine typically provides half the wheat to the World Food Programme, the UN agency that provides emergency supplies to countries in conflict or experiencing natural disasters such as famines.
If we don’t think about how to mitigate the impact of the war that will be another catastrophe not just this year but next year, – the WTO director-general said.