The conflict in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia from Western countries are driving up global food prices, as Black Sea ports used to export grain remain blocked. The situation could lead to hunger and food rioting in poor countries, where food security depends on imports, the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told the Guardian on Thursday.
“I think we should be very worried. The impact on food prices and hunger this year and next could be substantial. Food and energy are the two biggest items in the consumption baskets of poor people all over the world,” Okonjo-Iweala said, adding that “it is poor countries and poor people within poor countries that will suffer the most.”
Okonjo-Iweala specified that Russia and Ukraine provide 24% of global supplies of wheat, noting that food imports from the Black Sea region were crucial for survival for 35 African countries.