UNITED NATIONS- There is a “real risk” of multiple famines this year, U.N. chief Antonio Guterres said on Friday and urged ministers meeting on food security to take practical steps to stabilize food markets and reduce commodity price volatility.
“We face an unprecedented global hunger crisis,” Guterres told the meeting in Berlin via video. “The war in Ukraine has compounded problems that have been brewing for years: climate disruption; the COVID-19 pandemic; the deeply unequal recovery.”
More than 460,000 people in Somalia, Yemen and South Sudan are in famine conditions under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) – a scale used by U.N. agencies, regional bodies and aid groups to determine food insecurity. This is the step before a declaration of famine in a region.
Millions of people in 34 other countries are on the brink of famine, according to the IPC.
“There is a real risk that multiple famines will be declared in 2022. And 2023 could be even worse,” said Guterres, calling mass hunger and starvation unacceptable in the 21st century.
Guterres said there could be no effective solution to the crisis unless Ukraine and Russia, which produce about 29 percent of global wheat exports, find a way to properly resume trade.
Shipments from Ukrainian ports have been halted by Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.
Moscow wants certain Western sanctions lifted in order to resume its grain and fertilizer exports.
The United Nations and Turkey are trying to broker a deal.
Guterres did not elaborate on the talks, saying: “Public statements could hinder success.”
He also asked ministers at the Berlin meeting to address a finance crisis in developing countries.
Russia and Turkey agreed to pursue talks on a potential safe sea corridor in the Black Sea to export grain from Ukraine after discussions in Moscow, the Russian and Turkish defence ministries said.
In a statement, Turkey’s defence ministry said a Turkish dry cargo vessel, the Azov Concord, had also safely left Mariupol as a result of the talks, and added the ship was the first foreign ship to leave the port since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Ukraine is one of the top global wheat suppliers, but shipments have been halted by Russia’s invasion, causing global food shortages. The United Nations has appealed to both sides, as well as maritime neighbour Turkey, to agree to a corridor.
Mariupol, on Ukraine’s southern coast, fell under the control of Russian and separatist forces in May after a months-long siege.
While Moscow wants certain Western sanctions lifted to help facilitate grain and fertiliser exports, Kyiv seeks security guarantees for its ports to agree the U.N.-led plan. Ukraine has also said no agreement can be reached without its approval.
NATO member Turkey has held direct talks with Moscow and the U.N. on the plan, but said more were needed for a deal. It said demands set out by Russia and Ukraine were reasonable.
Turkey’s defence ministry said talks between the Turkish and Russian military delegations on Tuesday to discuss the corridor, the safe departure of vessels at Ukrainian ports and the return of Turkish planes at Ukraine’s Borispol airport were lengthy, “positive and constructive”.
The ministry said the Azov Concord vessel left Mariupol port hours after the meeting. Talks were chaired by generals assigned to operate a “hotline” between Ankara, Moscow and Kyiv to seek a solution to the crisis, it added.
“It was learned that an understanding emerged for talks to be held between Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations to resolve the problem. In this framework, it was found out that a four-way meeting in Turkey is expected following meetings with the Ukraine and U.N. sides,” it said.
