The Ukraine crisis could plunge more than one fifth of humanity, or up to 1.7 billion people, into poverty and hunger, according to the UN Secretary-General, as news.am informs, Asian News International reported.
Ukraine crisis is blocking grain exports, UN chief say
STEPANAKERT, APRIL 18, ARTSAKHPRESS: "We all see the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine. But beyond its borders, the war has launched a silent assault on the developing world. The crisis could plunge up to 1.7 billion people, more than a fifth of humanity, into poverty and hunger on a scale not seen in decades," Antonio Guterres said in an interview with the Czech Seznam Zpravy publication, published on Sunday.
Ukraine and Russia account for 30 percent of world production of wheat and barley, a fifth of all corn and more than half of all sunflower oil, Guterres said, specifying that Russia and Ukraine account for over a third of the wheat imported to the 45 least developed countries.
The UN Secretary-General said that the Ukraine crisis is blocking grain exports and disrupting supply chains, causing prices to skyrocket. Since the start of 2022, wheat and corn prices have gone up by 30 percent, Brent crude oil prices have risen by more than 60 percent, while natural gas and fertilizer prices have more than doubled. Russia is one of the leading exporters of natural gas and one of the largest exporters of oil.
