The world community must intervene and protect Ukrainian ports – the UN

Russian troops blockade Ukrainian ports.

The United Nations has once again warned that the blockade of Ukrainian ports by Russian troops threatens a global food crisis that will lead to famine, mass migration and political instability. This was reported by the New York Times.

According to David Beasley, executive director of the UN World Food Program, Ukraine's silos are overflowing with grain, which helps feed 400 million people worldwide each year. But due to Russia's war against Ukraine, the supply chain has been disrupted and ports cannot operate properly near the center of the war zone. Russian blockade, as well as to address the greater threat to global food markets.

Yes, the problem of global food supply is that the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Black Sea, South and Mykolayiv on the Black Sea coast are not currently open due to expectations the onset of the Russian Federation.

Beasley said he had called the Russian side and expressed his concerns in writing, but the Kremlin did not respond to any UN warnings.

ports for the whole world. Because the whole world will pay the price if we don't open ports, “he said.

According to the UN spokesman, about 45 million people in 38 countries are currently at risk of starvation due to cumulative losses from wars, droughts and the coronavirus pandemic. The impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on food, fuel and transportation costs will further increase this number and limit the UN's ability to help them.

Yes, the operational cost of the UN food program has increased by $ 71 million a month , which means that the organization will be able to feed 4-5 million people less than a year just because of increased costs, said Beasley.

A more alarming threat is the long-term challenge to global food markets. According to him, Ukrainian farmers can still reap a harvest that will help feed the world's starving if the war ends now, but not if southern ports and Black Sea routes remain closed.

Beasley urges leaders G7 countries and governments of other countries to return to production agricultural land that is not used to compensate for the possible loss of Ukrainian and Russian food supplies. However, he warned that food shortages and a further sharp jump in food prices would be a disaster for poor countries.

“You will have famine, death and famine. mass migration “, – said the UN representative.

Read also: Closing the southern ports of Ukraine could provoke a global food catastrophe – UN

Earlier, the UN World Food Program called Provide access to the surrounding cities of Ukraine .

Based on materials: ZN.ua

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