Russia-Ukraine War: UN says1.6 billion people across 94 countries exposed to food crisis

For the last two years, many countries have been facing the burnt of the COVID-19 pandemic-- from job cuts to getting lower wages. According to the United Nations, 60% of workers have lower real incomes than before the pandemic; 60% of the poorest countries are in debt distress or at high risk of it. Amidst this pathetic environment, the UN noted that the brutal war between Russia-Ukraine has further exaggerated the food crisis for nearly 1.2 billion people who are currently residing in vulnerable regions across the world.

According to a report by the Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG) published on June 8, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has left an estimated 1.6 billion people in 94 countries exposed to at least one dimension of finance, food, or energy crisis. The report further found the soaring inflation due to the rise in fuel prices has deepened the crisis. It called the leaders to stabilise the food prices to make them affordable for vulnerable groups residing in developing countries. The UN report warns that "time is short" to prevent a food crisis in 2023.

"If the war continues and high prices of grain and fertilizers persist into the next planting season, food availability will be reduced at the worst possible time, and the present crisis in corn, wheat and vegetable oil could extend to other staples, affecting billions more people," it added. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reacted to the report and added the ripple effects of the Ukraine war generated a severe cost-of-living crisis which no country or community can escape. "For those on the ground, every day brings new bloodshed and suffering. And for people around the world, the war is threatening to unleash an unprecedented wave of hunger and destitution, leaving social and economic chaos in its wake," said Guterres.

World Food Programme also warns of the dire consequences of war in African countries

Earlier in May, a report published by the World Food Programme (WFP) noted that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War has forced more than 20 million people in the Horn of Africa to suffer from acute food shortages. Though the report noted that the condition was not up to the mark even before Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a brutal war against Ukraine, the situation worsened as the major port that supplies agricultural production to the whole world remained blocked by Russian troops.
The WFP warned that if urgent relief was not provided to several countries in the Horn of Africa, the region would enter a phase of famine. 

Image: Twitter/@WFP/AP