A wheat field burns near Donetsk after a Russian attack Photo: Reuters
From BZ/epd
German Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of cutting off the supply of food in the Ukraine conflict for strategic purposes.
“You can see that Putin is using hunger as a weapon of war, that he is deliberately bombing the ports in Ukraine so that the wheat cannot be delivered,” she said on RBB Inforadio on Tuesday.
In order to fight the current hunger crisis, Welthungerhilfe needs more money, Schulze emphasized against the background of the aid organization’s annual report published on Tuesday: “Germany has led the way, we pay a lot, but more have to follow suit.” In addition, the aid would have to be better coordinated.
Svenja Schulze, Federal Environment Minister
In view of the dependency of numerous countries on wheat deliveries, including from the Ukraine, the Federal Development Minister called for changes in agricultural systems.
More local grain must be planted on site again. In the long term, it must be possible to make countries that are dependent on aid more independent, Schulze continued: “That’s why we not only help acutely with food, but we also help the countries to be better able to help themselves.”
