United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the war in Ukraine could plunge 1.7 billion people - more than a fifth of the world's population - into poverty, destitution and hunger, on a scale not seen in decades.
Guterres said in an article published in the British newspaper "The Independent" that the Russian invasion of Ukraine represented a nightmare and a terrifying humanitarian disaster for the Ukrainian people, but the war also quickly became a matter of life and death for vulnerable peoples around the world.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations saw that the war launched a silent attack on developing countries, far from the borders of Ukraine and away from the spotlight of the media.
He pointed out that Ukraine and Russia provide 30% of the world's used wheat and barley, a fifth of the world's production of corn, and more than half of the world's production of sunflower oil.
Their agricultural crops feed the poorest countries, providing more than a third of the wheat imported by 45 African and other developing countries.
Russia is also the world's largest natural gas exporter and the second largest oil exporter.
Guterres explained that the war prevented farmers from tending their agricultural crops, caused the closure of ports, halted grain exports and disrupted supply chains, which caused a significant rise in prices at a time when many developing countries are still struggling to recover from the effects of the Corona epidemic.
He said that United Nations rescue operations are under severe pressure, and that the World Food Program has warned that it is facing a difficult choice in disbursing aid intended for the hungry to feed the most hungry, and it is in dire need of $8 billion to support its operations in Yemen, Chad and Niger.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations warned that some countries are slipping out of poverty into crises, threatening serious social unrest.
He recalled that the roots of many conflicts lie in poverty, inequality, underdevelopment and despair.
Guterres said that although many countries of the world have declared their solidarity and support for Ukraine, there are no indications of "similar support for the 1.7 billion people who are also potential victims of this war."
Guterres concluded his article by emphasizing that the world is required to fulfill its moral duty towards these victims and support them wherever they are.