'50 Million People a Step Away from Famine': UN on Blocking of Ukrainian Grain

The director of the UN World Food Programme, Patrick Beasley, has warned that the 25 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain trapped by a Russian blockade could set off a ‘looming hunger catastrophe’ over the next two years, creating unsurmountable international pressure.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 130 million people were classified by the UN as ‘acutely food insecure’; later, this number grew to 276 million.

In the face of the Ukraine crisis and the subsequent “soaring prices, export bans, and shortages of basic foodstuff spreading far from Ukraine’s borders”, this number has grown to a staggering 345 million, or roughly 4.3% of the world’s population.

The food supply crisis in Ukraine as a result of the war is likely to have international consequences, with Beasley estimating that, “a staggering 50 million people in 45 countries are now just one step from famine,” adding, “Nations across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and even Latin America are feeling the heat from this conflict.”

The global food availability crisis is exacerbated by the Black Sea blockade preventing vital exports of grain, and the escalating price of fuel fertilisers worldwide.

The UN has called for the urgent lifting of blockades on Ukrainian grain-exporting ports, but the secretary general reported last week that there has been no significant breakthrough, as Putin is unwilling to lift these blockades unless wider sanctions on Russia are lifted.

Poland and other countries are urging the EU to recognise that this blockade cannot be lifted through negotiation or force, arguing that the UN should try to export the grain supply through Polish trains.

However, in order for the required infrastructure and systems to be built, Polish and Baltic ports would need a long-term contract for them to make the necessary investments.

“Official figures on the precise additional impact of the Ukrainian port blockade differ, but UN officials on Wednesday said the conflict will mean an extra 13 million severely malnourished this year and 17 million in 2023,”

The Guardian