World Faces 'Frightening' Deficit, This War is Devastating: UN Warns

During a speech in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, David Beasley, director of the UN World Food Programme, stated that protests, unrest, and famine could erupt in dozens of countries as global food prices continue to rise. The information was reported by The Guardian.

According to Beasley, the world is facing a 'frightening' deficit that could destabilize those nations reliant on grain exports from Ukraine and Russia. He commented, 'Before the Ukrainian crisis, we were already facing an unprecedented global food crisis due to COVID-19 and rising fuel prices. At that time, we thought it couldn’t get worse, but this war is devastating.'

The publication noted that Ukraine produces enough food annually to feed 400 million people. The country accounts for 42% of the world's sunflower oil, 16% of corn, and 9% of wheat. Somalia imports wheat from Ukraine and Russia, while Egypt receives 80% of its grains from these two countries.

Beasley remarked that the number of people suffering from hunger has risen from 650 million to 810 million over the past five years due to the coronavirus, climate crisis, and the ongoing situation in Ukraine.