The sharp rise in world food prices as a result of the war in Ukraine could provoke food riots in poor countries, said the head of the World Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Trade Organization.
She warned food-producing countries against stockpilingand said it was critical to avoid a repeat of the Covid-19 pandemic when rich countries were able to secure most vaccines.
WTO Director General expresses concern about side effectsof the Russian invasion, highlighting the dependence of many African countries on food supplies from the Black Sea region.
According to former Nigerian Finance Minister Okonjo-Iweala, 35 African countries depend on food imported from region of the Black Sea, adding that Russia and Ukraine account for 24% of global wheat supplies.
After sharp criticism of vaccine apartheid, experts say strong>that has affected Africa during the pandemic, WTO members must resist the temptation to protect their own food supplies.
— This is a natural reaction — save what you have, we've seen this with vaccines. But we shouldn't make the same mistake with food, — they note.
The WTO Director-General said she was concerned that the sowing season in Ukraine would be disrupted due to the conflict, and fertilizer supplies would also be limited.
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Ukraine typically supplies half of its wheat to the World Food Programme, the UN agency that provides emergency supplies to countries in conflict or experiencing natural disasters such as famine.
If we do not think about how to mitigate the consequences of the war, it will be another catastrophe not only this year, but next year, notes head of the WTO.
