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WORLD NEWS Saturday 12 March 2022
U.N.: War in Ukraine to hurt poor nations importing grain

By FRANCES D’EMILIO Asia, sub-Saharan Africa,
Associated Press the Middle East and North
ROME (AP) — Poorer coun- Africa.
tries in northern Africa, Potential for unrest could
Asia and the Middle East rise with the prices.
that depend heavily on Mohammed Jassim, who
wheat imports risk suffering owns a small bakery in
significant food insecurity Baghdad, said there was
because of Russia’s war in real concern in Iraq, where
Ukraine, and the conflict is dozens of people held
poised to drive up already demonstrations in the past
soaring food prices in much week over skyrocketing
of the world, the U.N. food food prices.
agency warned Friday. “I am a consumer who buys
Ukraine and Russia, which staples for my business, and
is under heavy economic I have seen an increase
sanctions for invading its of about 20% in the price
neighbor two weeks ago, of sugar and wheat,” he
account for one-third of said. “If this keeps up, then
global grain exports. I will be forced to raise my
With the conflict’s inten- prices, and ultimately, the
sity and duration uncertain, average citizen will be the
“the likely disruptions to ag- one to pay for it.”
ricultural activities of these Farmers harvest with their combines in a wheat field near the village Tbilisskaya, Russia, July 21, With shortfalls in grain and
two major exporters of 2021. Associated Press sunflower seed exports by
staple commodities could Ukraine and Russia, “wor-
seriously escalate food in- population displacement barley supply, 14% of wheat and Ukraine. Also heavily ryingly, the resulting global
security globally, when in- has reduced the number and 4% of corn. reliant are Lebanon, Tuni- supply gap could push
ternational food and input of agricultural laborers and “It is still unclear whether sia, Yemen, Libya and Paki- up international food and
prices are already high workers. Accessing agricul- (other) exporters would be stan. feed prices by 8 to 22%
and vulnerable,” said Qu tural fields would be diffi- able to fill this gap,” Qu In Libya, where civil war has above their already elevat-
Dongyu, director-general cult,’’ Qu noted. said, warning that wheat ground on for years, the lat- ed levels,” the FAO’s report
of the Rome-based Food Ukraine’s ports on the Black inventories are already run- est price increases for food warned.
and Agriculture Organiza- Sea are shuttered, and ning low in Canada. staples have people wor- Its figures show food prices
tion. its government this week The United States, Argen- ried. reached an all-time high in
The U.N. agency, known as banned the export of tina and other wheat-pro- Salah Alabar, a 37-year-old February.
FAO, also noted that Rus- wheat, oats, millet, buck- ducing nations are likely father of two, said bread The COVID-19 pandemic
sia is the lead producer of wheat and some other to limit exports as govern- and flour have increased already had a major im-
fertilizer, and a key fertilizer food products to prevent a ments seek to ensure do- by roughly 40% in his Beng- pact on global food secu-
component — urea — has crisis in its own country. mestic supply, he said. hazi neighborhood. Sun- rity. Last year, global prices
jumped more than three- The ban does not apply to Adding to the pressure, flower oil is 25% higher. of wheat and barley rose
fold in price in the last 12 its major global exports of countries that depend The U.N. agency said its 31%, and rapeseed and
months. corn and sunflower oil. It on Russian and Ukrainian simulations suggest that sunflower oil prices jumped
There’s also the uncertain- and Russia together supply wheat are likely to increase “the global number of un- by more than 60%. Wheat
ty over whether Ukraine’s 52% of the world’s sunflow- imports. Egypt, Turkey, Ban- dernourished people could prices have surged more
wheat ready in June can er oil exports. They also ac- gladesh and Iran buy 60% increase by 8 to 13 million” than 50% since a week be-
be harvested as “massive count for 19% of the world’s of their wheat from Russia in 2022-2023, particularly in fore the invasion.q

Premier Li offers China’s help for ‘grave’

Ukraine situation

BEIJING (AP) — Chinaese tween the sides, although to Ukraine while continu-
Premier Li Keqiang on Fri- it has little experience in ing to oppose sanctions
day called the situation in such a role and would not against Russia over its inva-
Ukraine “grave” and of- likely be viewed as a neu- sion and pledging to con-
fered Beijing’s help in play- tral party. tinue normal trade and
ing a “positive role” for “We support and encour- economic cooperation
peace while continuing to age all efforts that are with Moscow.
refrain from criticizing Rus- conducive to a peaceful Li, who as China’s No. 2
sia. settlement of the crisis,” Li leader behind Xi Jinping
China has largely sided told reporters at an annu- is primarily responsible for
with Russia in the conflict, al news conference. “The overseeing the world’s
which it has refused to refer pressing task now is to pre- second-largest economy, People walk past a large video screen at a shopping mall
showing Chinese Premier Li Keqiang as he speaks during a
to as a war or invasion. The vent tension from escalat- spoke following the close press conference after the closing session of China’s National
U.S. has accused Beijing of ing or even getting out of of the annual session of People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing, Friday, March 11, 2022.
helping spread unsubstan- control.” China’s rubber-stamp leg- Associated Press
tiated claims coming out of Beijing this week said it was islature. He said that sanc-
Moscow. sending humanitarian aid tions would “hurt the world China is ready to make its and stability and promot-
China has offered to serve including food and daily economic recovery.” own constructive efforts in ing development and pros-
as a facilitator of talks be- necessities worth $791,000 “It is in no one’s interest. maintaining world peace perity,” Li said. q