United States Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sharman has given insight of how impacted the Russian President, Vladimir Putin's war is being felt beyond the Ukraine's border with some of the most immediate and dangerous implications for global food security.
Deputy of State who made this known at a United Nations Security Council Briefing on humanitarian impact of Russia's war against Ukraine on Tuesday, said both Ukraine and Russia are major agricultural producers, 30 percent of the world’s wheat exports typically come from the Black Sea region, as 20 percent of the world’s corn and 75 percent of sunflower oil.
According to Sharman, "Russia has bombed at least three civilian ships carrying goods from Black Sea ports to the rest of the world, including one chartered by an agribusiness company. Also, the Russian Navy is blocking access to Ukraine’s ports, essentially cutting off exports of grain.
"They've reportedly prevented approximately 94 ships carrying food for the world market from reaching the Mediterranean. It’s no wonder many shippers are now hesitant to send vessels into the Black Sea, even to Russian ports, given the danger posed by Russian forces", she claimed.
She further said Russian missiles and bombs have damaged and destroyed Ukrainian airports, rail lines, train stations, and highways that are critical for getting humanitarian aid to those who need it and for exporting wheat, corn, and other commodities.
"Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba has told his counterparts that Russia is actively targeting grain silos and food storage facilities. All of these actions by Russia are creating a food crisis in Ukraine and well beyond Ukraine’s borders", she said.
Deputy of State noted that already, food prices are skyrocketing in low- and middle-income countries as Russia chokes off Ukrainian exports. Across the Middle East and Africa, already-high prices for staple commodities.
"Including wheat, have risen between 20 and 50 percent so far this year. We are particularly concerned about countries like Lebanon, Pakistan, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, and Morocco, which rely heavily on Ukrainian imports to feed their populations", she added.
She made it know that the world, was already facing a food security crisis well before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. "The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis pushed millions of families into poverty. Countries around the world are grappling with drought and other disasters made worse by climate change.
"As we heard from Executive Director Beasley, the World Food Program is already feeding 138 million people in more than 80 countries from Ethiopia to Afghanistan, South Sudan to Yemen, Nigeria to Syria.
"But now, Putin’s war is driving up the costs of providing food assistance. And the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, estimated that as many as 13 million more people worldwide may be pushed into food insecurity as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine", she said.
According to her, "Many of you have heard the Russian government blame U.S., allied, and partner sanctions for increasing food costs around the world. But tthe facts are clear: Sanctions aren’t preventing grain from leaving Ukraine’s ports; Putin’s war is.
"And Russia’s own food and agricultural exports are not under sanction by the U.S. or by our allies and partners. The responsibility for waging war on Ukraine and for the war’s effects on global food security falls solely on President Putin".
Sharman stated that since five weeks Russia's Putin launched his premeditated, unprovoked, unjustified, and brutal invasion of Ukraine. "In just five weeks, nearly a quarter of Ukraine’s population has been displaced, including more than half of the nation’s children.
"In just five weeks, nearly four million Ukrainians have fled their country as refugees. Now, the World Food Program warns that 45 percent of the people in Ukraine nearly half of the people living in one of the world’s great breadbaskets are concerned about having enough to eat".
She emphasized Russia’s ceaseless bombardment of Ukraine’s cities and critical infrastructure has created one of the fastest-growing humanitarian crises in recent decades. Russian forces have laid siege to cities like Mariupol, where citizens have been left without food, water, heat, or electricity in the depths of winter.
"People have resorted to melting snow for drinking water. One mother told reporters she could feed her three daughters only a spoonful of honey a day as they hid from Russian bombs.
"Now, city officials say people are beginning to die of starvation. Think about that. Five weeks ago, Mariupol was at peace. It was, in fact, a bustling port city, a grain exporter that helped feed the world. Today, its residents are dying because of President Putin’s war of choice".
Deputy of State called on international community to come together to meet this moment to provide food, water, shelter, and medicine for the Ukrainian people; to support Ukraine’s neighbors, who have taken in millions of refugees; and to bolster global food security, and protect the world’s most vulnerable from hunger as a result of Putin’s war.
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