The UN chief has warned that Russia’s war against Ukraine is posing an imminent disaster on the global economy. He said poor countries are facing skyrocketing prices of food, fuel and fertilizers and are seeing their wheat fields being bombed. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said more than half of the world’s supply of sunflower oil and about 30 per cent of wheat comes from Russia and Ukraine, and grain prices have already risen.
Guterres said 45 African and least developing countries get at least a third of their wheat from Ukraine and Russia, and 18 of those countries import at least 50 percent. These countries include Egypt, Congo, Burkina Faso, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. “The poor are hit hardest by this, and the seeds of political instability and unrest are being planted around the world,” Guterres warned.
‘War is going to have a devastating global impact’
The Secretary-General said that the most vulnerable countries are already trying to recover from COVID-19 and are battling record inflation, rising interest rates and debt. David Beasley, executive director of the United Nations’ World Food Program, said during a visit to Ukraine’s western city of Lviv that 50 percent of the food the agency buys to feed 125 million people comes from Ukraine. Therefore, this war is going to have a global disastrous effect.
Announcement to provide additional assistance of $ 40 million from UN Emergency Fund
Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate end to the war and serious negotiations for peace. He announced an additional $40 million in aid from the United Nations Emergency Fund for vital supplies of food, water and medicine to Ukraine. At least 1.9 million people have been displaced in Ukraine and more than 2.8 million have fled Ukraine to other countries. The UN children’s agency UNICEF said the horrific attacks were causing serious injuries to and killing patients and health care workers. Also destroying critical health infrastructure.