Guttierez: I’m deeply concerned about the risk of global hunger because of the war on Ukraine.
UN Secretary-General says he is deeply concerned about the spread of hunger because of the war in Ukraine Food security in various sectors
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said today (Wednesday) that he was “deeply concerned” about the spread of hunger as the war in Ukraine threatened food security in various parts of the world.
Speaking with the Austrian Chancellor and Foreign Minister in Vienna, Guterres also said talks were under way to evacuate more civilians from conflict zones in Ukraine and expressed confidence that more civilians would be evacuated in the future. However, he rejected the prospect of peace talks on Ukraine in the near future.
According to Reuters, the war in Ukraine has raised world prices for cereals, edible oils, fuel and fertilizers, and UN agencies have warned that rising prices are exacerbating the food crisis in Africa. Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine since February has disrupted shipping in the Black Sea, the main route for grain and other goods, and reduced exports from Ukraine and Russia.
“I have to say that I’m deeply concerned about the danger of the spread of hunger in different parts of the world because of the tense food security situation that we are facing in the wake of the war in Ukraine,” Guterres said.
Earlier in the day, the UN official said that there would be a time when peace talks on Ukraine would take place, but he did not see the time in the near future. “This war will not last forever,” he told a news conference with Austrian President Alexander van der Belen. The time will come when peace talks will take place. I do not see such a thing in the near future. But I can say one thing, we will never give up.
Guttierez went on to say that the focus now is on providing humanitarian aid, evacuating civilians from war zones in Ukraine, and providing food security. “Russian and Ukrainian agricultural products must be returned to world markets,” he said.
