Extensive disruptions in the movement of food and a massive global famine were only a theory a decade ago. Now, the unthinkable is slowly unfolding and puts the poorest and most vulnerable at risk.
During a United Nations (UN) food security meeting on June 24, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a “global hunger crisis.” He also mentioned the “real risk” of “multiple famines” being declared in 2022, with even worse famines to be expected in 2023.
“We face an unprecedented global hunger crisis. The war in Ukraine has compounded problems that have been brewing for years – climate disruption, the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic [and] the deeply unequal recovery,” Guterres said in a video message.
He urged ministers to start acting on stabilizing food markets and volatile food prices. (Related: A global food shortage “catastrophe” is unfolding, warns UN chief.)
David Beasley, director of the UN’s World Food Program (WFP), remarked that the Russia-Ukraine war caused “devastating” repercussions to the ongoing food shortage worldwide. This, he added, could bring about “hell on Earth.”
“Even before the Ukraine crisis, we were facing an unprecedented global food crisis because of COVID and fuel price increases. Then, we thought it couldn’t get any worse, but this war has been devastating,” he said.
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