Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, April 18: The United Nations (UN) has warned that the Ukraine crisis might push more than one-fifth of humankind, or up to 1.7 billion people, into poverty and starvation as a result of Russian aggression.
The Ukraine crisis, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, is preventing grain exports and disrupting supply lines, leading prices to rise.
“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,” Guterres was quoted as saying by ANI.
Ukraine and Russia produce 30% of the world’s wheat and barley, a fifth of all corn, and more than half of all sunflower oil, according to the UN Chief, who also stated that Russia and Ukraine import more than a third of wheat to the 45 least developed countries.
Wheat and corn prices have increased by 30% since the start of 2022, Brent crude oil prices have increased by more than 60%, and gas and fertiliser prices have more than doubled. Guterres urged for global reforms to alter the global financial system, which he said makes the wealthiest richer and the people poorer.
The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva indicated earlier this week that the Russia-Ukraine conflict will lower predictions for 143 economies this year, accounting for 86% of global GDP.
