The international community is stepping up its efforts to counter the food crisis

"Russia must allow the safe and secure export of grain stored in Ukrainian ports," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged on Wednesday at a ministerial meeting hosted by the United States in New York.

"Alternative transport routes" to the maritime exit of these cereals, in particular filling silos in Odessa, "can be explored - even if we know that this will not be enough to solve the problem", he added.

Even before the war in Ukraine, food insecurity had increased in the world due to conflicts, climatic and economic crises.

But the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has worsened the crisis, with the two countries alone accounting for 30% of the world's wheat trade.

Along with unblocking Ukrainian exports, the UN chief pleads for "unrestricted access" of Russian food and fertilizers to world markets.

These fertilizers have not been hit by Western sanctions against Moscow after the February 24 invasion of Ukraine, but Russia has decided to stop their export.

Their purchase by foreign countries may also be blocked by the measures taken against the Russian financial system, according to diplomats.

For their part, the international financial institutions on Wednesday launched an "action plan" with concrete projects to accelerate existing programs, "target work to meet immediate needs".

The World Bank has thus announced the granting of 12 billion dollars over the next fifteen months, the majority of which will go to countries in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central and South Asia. , said the institution.

The headquarters of the World Bank in Washington.

Photo taken on April 13, 2022 Stefani Reynolds AFP/Archives

"clear statements"

This envelope must support in particular projects in favor of agriculture in these countries, "social protection to cushion the effects of rising food prices", and promote water supply and irrigation projects , explained the institution.

It also announced that it had 18.7 billion unused dollars which will also be dedicated to the projects.

"In total, this represents more than 30 billion dollars available for the implementation of the fight against food insecurity over the next 15 months," noted the World Bank.

"Rising food prices are having devastating effects on the poorest and most vulnerable," said World Bank President David Malpass.

"To inform and stabilize markets, it is essential that countries make clear statements now on future production increases in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine," he said.

"Useless storage"

It recommends that countries make "concerted efforts" not only to increase energy and fertilizer supplies, help farmers increase plantings and crop yields, but also to "remove policies that block exports and imports (...) or encourage unnecessary storage".

In New York, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who himself chaired the ministerial meeting devoted to the food crisis, underlined the commitment of the United States to fight against famine and malnutrition.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (left) and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) during a meeting focused on international mobilization against the global food crisis, May 18, 2022 in United Nations in New York.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY AFP

Washington has released "an additional $215 million" for the fight against food insecurity, he said.

According to Antonio Guterres, "in just two years, the number of people suffering from severe food insecurity has doubled, from 135 million before the Covid-19 pandemic to 276 million today".

Last year, 193 million people in 53 countries were in a situation of acute food insecurity, that is to say that they needed urgent help to survive, according to the UN.

And concern is growing as India, hit by an exceptional heat wave, intends to ban its wheat exports to ensure food security for its 1.4 billion inhabitants.

On Monday, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield stressed the need to bring countries together "to consider which of them could help fill the gap" in wheat caused by the conflict in Ukraine.

According to her, the United States could be among these countries.

Discussions are already underway with American farmers on this subject.

© 2022 AFP