Threat of hunger for millions of people: the UN called for the unblocking of Ukrainian ports
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has called for the immediate unblocking of Ukrainian ports in the Odessa region to prevent a food crisis and famine in the world. Ports are blocked by the aggressor country Russia.
According to the UN, the unblocking of ports will allow food to be delivered from Ukraine to different parts of the world until the global food crisis is out of control.
– Currently, Ukrainian granaries are full. At the same time, 44 million people worldwide are at risk of starvation. We must open these ports so that food can be imported and exported from Ukraine. The world demands it, because hundreds of millions of people on the planet depend on these supplies.
We have little time, and the price of inaction will be higher than anyone can imagine. “I urge all parties involved to allow this food to go where it is needed so that we can prevent the impending threat of famine, – said WFP Executive Director David Beasley.
The United Nations says that because Ukrainian ports are blocked due to a full-scale war waged by Russia, millions of tons of grain are in elevators or ships in the Black Sea.
According to WFP, if the ports are not unblocked, Ukrainian farmers will have nowhere to store the new harvest in July-August.
“As a result, mountains of grain will be lost in vain, while the WFP and the world will fight the already catastrophic global hunger crisis,” the statement said.
If ports in the #Odesa region do not open up immediately, two things will happen:
First, we’re going to have an agricultural collapse across #Ukraine. Second, families will be looming all over the world. Food needs to move, ports must reopen and this needs to happen NOW. pic.twitter.com/G3xIFShBjJ
– David Beasley (@WFPChief) May 6, 2022
According to the United Nations, about 276 million people worldwide have already faced acute hunger in early 2022. And that number could increase by another 47 million if the war in Ukraine continues. The largest growth will be in sub-Saharan Africa.
The WFP clarified that before the full-scale war, most of Ukraine’s products were exported through seven Black Sea ports. In the eight months before the war, more than 50 million tons of grain were transported through Ukrainian ports. That was enough to feed 400 million people.
War-induced export disruptions have already led to rising food prices. They significantly exceeded the record highs achieved earlier this year. For example, in March, export prices for wheat and corn increased by 22% and 20%, respectively.
The day before, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said that Russia had blocked 90 million tons of grain in ports, which Ukraine was to export to a number of countries. According to the head of the Cabinet of Ministers, the enemy is also launching missile strikes at Ukrainian grain depots.
In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Russian invaders are robbing farmers en masse, taking away their crops.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, by blocking Ukrainian exports, Russia could provoke a food crisis in the world.
Source: WFP, Denys Shmyhal