There are growing fears that the war in Ukraine could result in the destabilisation of other countries, particularly in central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
Ukraine and Russia are big players in world food production, representing 53% of global trade in sunflower oil and seeds, and 27% in wheat, according to the United Nations.
But the Russian invasion of Ukraine has put these exports at risk, causing particular concern for developing countries – some 25 African countries import more than a third of their wheat from Ukraine and Russia, for example.
Speaking to Sky’s Ian King Live programme, Nic Hailey, executive director of charity International Alert, said: “Even before Ukraine, we were talking about unprecedented level of humanitarian need – one person in 95 displaced by conflict or emergency.
“Climate change has led to drought – east Africa for example has had three failed rainy seasons, there are more than seven million people in Somalia who urgently need food help, that’s even before Ukraine.
“And then with Ukraine, the price of wheat, the price of cooking oil, the price of transporting those things has really rocketed and that has just made the situation that much worse.”
Mr Hailey, who previously worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, said Egypt – the world’s biggest importers of Russian and Ukrainian wheat; Lebanon – which relies on it for 80% of its food security; and Tunisia, where bread and basic staples are already in short supply, are among the most vulnerable.
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Source : skynews
