MONTPELLIER (dpa-AFX) – According to Development Minister Svenja Schulze, Russia’s war against Ukraine could have catastrophic consequences for the food supply in Africa and other poorer regions of the world. “Russia and Ukraine are two of the largest exporters of wheat and are therefore the breadbasket of the world,” said the SPD politician on Monday at the sidelines of a meeting of EU development ministers in Montpellier, France. “If these exports collapse now, food prices will continue to rise, although they are already at record highs due to Corona and the high energy and fertilizer prices.”
According to initial forecasts, this could push 8 to 13 million more people into hunger, mostly in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, she added. That is why her ministry is already working on countermeasures. They want to help immediately, but at the same time ensure that local food systems are more secure in the long term.
According to data from the EU, Russia was the world’s largest wheat exporter in 2021, followed by the USA, Canada and Australia. This was followed by Ukraine in fifth place. The two countries are also very relevant as exporters of sunflower oil. In 2021, Ukraine was the number one export country worldwide, followed by Russia in second place. Russia is also a very important fertilizer exporter worldwide.
It is estimated that the feared market turmoil could now increase the number of malnourished people in the Asia-Pacific region by 4.2 to 6.4 million. 2.6 to 5.1 million could be affected in Africa and up to 960,000 in the Middle East.
According to Schulze, in addition to crisis prevention in this area, intensive work is still being done to help the people in Ukraine affected by the war. “My house, the Development Ministry, reacted flexibly immediately and is reallocating funds totaling 38.5 million euros so far, which are available for disaster control and specific civilian supplies,” said the SPD politician on Monday. The first emergency aid for the fire brigade in Ukraine has already arrived. These included protective clothing, respiratory protection and fire-fighting equipment worth four million euros.
According to the BMZ, further aid measures are about to be implemented. Above all, they are intended to benefit Ukrainian municipalities that care for and accommodate internally displaced persons. Specifically, this involves, for example, the procurement of generators, water tanks or tents. According to the information, the support is considerably facilitated by existing relationships. According to the information, there are more than 70 municipal partnerships between German and Ukrainian cities and communities./aha/DP/stw