The war in Ukraine is already affecting food security in Africa and the Middle East.

Rome, March 17 After the invasion of Russia, the impact of the Ukrainian conflict has already affected the Middle East and North Africa and will continue to spread rapidly, the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), based in Rome, warned today. Rising food prices and stock crop shortages due to the conflict are already being felt in the Middle East and North Africa, spreading to some of the world's most vulnerable countries, including the horns of Africa, where the poorest people are most at risk, the UN agency explained in a note. IFAD remembered that “a quarter of the world's wheat exports come from Russia and Ukraine,” and “40% of Ukrainian wheat and corn are already struggling with hunger, and millions of people are going to the Middle East and Africa, where food shortages or rising prices can lead to poverty.” In addition, he explained that “Russia is the largest producer of fertilizers in the world, and due to the increase in prices last year, food prices have risen by about 30% even before the conflict.” “I am deeply concerned that the violent conflict in Ukraine, which has already become a disaster for those directly involved, is a tragedy for the poorest people in the world who live in rural areas and cannot absorb price increases for basic food and agricultural products,” said IFAD President Gilbert F. “We are already seeing price increases, and this can lead to increased hunger and poverty, which can have serious consequences for global stability.” He added. For example, he found that in Somalia, where about 3.8 million people are already not safe for food, the cost of electricity and transportation has risen due to rising fuel prices. In Egypt, wheat and sunflower oil prices skyrocketed as Russia and Ukraine relied on 85% of wheat supply and 73% of sunflower oil. In Lebanon, 22% of households are not safe for food, and food shortages or additional price increases will exacerbate the already hopeless situation. Although up to 80% of wheat is imported from Russia and Ukraine, the explosion in the port of Beirut in 2020 could save the harvest for about a month at a time.