Global Impact: The Ukraine war exacerbates hunger

Contested Ukrainian ports, sanctions against Russia: The Ukraine war is already having an impact in crisis regions and will also put some emerging countries under pressure, the UN fears.

Ukraine and Russia are considered the granaries of the world. Ukraine is the fifth largest wheat exporter, Russia is number one according to the United Nations (UN). Taken together, both countries export grain to around 50 countries. But since the beginning of the war there has been a general standstill and, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), there is a risk of a sudden increase in the number of starving people – not only in already existing crisis regions.

Sluggish exports, unclear prospects

In Ukraine, many people working in agriculture have fled the fighting. According to the FAO report, this means that it can no longer be guaranteed that seeds can be sown in spring and harvested in summer. The second problem is that Ukrainian grain can no longer be exported by ship as the ports are contested. Exports overland are also unsafe, apart from the fact that the high oil price caused by the war has made exports much more expensive.

Exports from Russia are also faltering: the Russian ports on the Black Sea are open, and according to the FAO, no decline in harvest is to be expected. However, the financial sanctions are having an impact. According to the UN World Food Program (WFP) report, 13.5 million tons of wheat and 16 million tons of maize are stuck in Ukraine and Russia. The consequences are felt not only in acute crisis regions such as Syria or Yemen; more stable countries such as Bangladesh, Egypt or Turkey also import 60 percent of their wheat from Ukraine and Russia.

UN organization must shut down aid

The WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and supplies people in many crisis regions around the world with basic food. The organization is already paying 30 percent more for food than in 2019. The UN organization gets most of its wheat from Ukraine. Now Ukraine itself is among them.

As a result, the WFP has already had to drastically reduce food rations for starving people in Yemen, for example. The UN organization calls for the food distribution chains to be kept open despite the war – and is asking for donations.