On June 8, 2022, in New York, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning about the escalating global hunger crisis exacerbated by the ongoing war in Ukraine. The UN Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG) has highlighted the urgent need for stability in global food and energy markets to mitigate the spiraling cost-of-living crisis affecting millions worldwide.

Since the conflict began over three months ago, the world has witnessed unprecedented price surges in food, energy, and fertilizers, compounding the challenges already posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. According to the GCRG’s latest findings, approximately 1.6 billion people across 94 countries are currently facing at least one dimension of this crisis, with 1.2 billion residing in ‘perfect-storm’ nations that are acutely vulnerable to food, energy, and financial disruptions.

Guterres emphasized the widespread impact of the crisis, stating, “Vulnerable people and countries are already being hit hard, but no nation will remain untouched by this cost-of-living crisis.” The crisis has eroded countries’ capacities to manage adversity, necessitating a unified political response and comprehensive strategies to address the multifaceted challenges.

Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, underscored the interconnected nature of the crisis, warning that addressing one aspect alone will not suffice. The economic strain has forced families to make difficult financial decisions, fueling social unrest and political instability.

The brief also highlights the dire situation of global hunger, with the World Food Programme reporting a doubling of severely food-insecure individuals from 135 million pre-pandemic to 276 million. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine threatens to push this number to 323 million by the end of 2022.

Guterres called for immediate action to stabilize global food and energy markets, stressing the importance of reintegrating Ukraine’s food production and Russia’s food and fertilizer exports into global supply chains. He announced the formation of task forces to facilitate the safe export of Ukrainian food through the Black Sea and ensure unimpeded access to Russian food and fertilizers.

The report also highlights regional disparities, with Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia facing varying degrees of exposure to the crisis. The brief calls for immediate policy interventions to stabilize markets and provide relief to the most affected regions.

Guterres concluded by urging the global financial system to rise to the occasion, emphasizing the need for flexible and understanding support to vulnerable countries and communities. “The message of today’s report is clear: we must act now to save lives and livelihoods over the coming months and years,” he stated.

Lesen Sie mehr unter United Nations. Supporting report: UN report on ReliefWeb. Read the dated 8 June 2022 UN brief.