NEW YORK

WFP Chief Warns of Possible 2023 Food Shortages. David Beasley, the head of the World Food Program, warned lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday that if Russia does not halt its embargo on Ukrainian grain exports and send its own fertiliser to international markets, there may be a global food shortage the following year.

WFP Chief Warns of Possible 2023 Food Shortages

And that will be a crisis unlike anything we've ever experienced, he said.

Beasley pointed out that approximately 50 countries experienced social unrest, protests, and rioting during the previous significant increase in global inflation and food prices in 2008.

According to Beasley, the situation is much, much worse today, and we are already beginning to see destabilisation take place in many countries - Sri Lanka, we saw what happened in Mali, Chad, and Burkina Faso, Kenya, Pakistan, Peru, and Indonesia are all experiencing riots and protests. I could go on forever.

Beasley said that before Russia's invasion, there were 276 million people who experienced extreme food insecurity in addition to destabilisation and the potential for mass migration. They are expected to be 345 million by the present. 50 million of those individuals, he claimed, are knocking on the door of starvation and live in 45 different nations.

Beasley commended the approximately $6 billion in U.S. contribution for the WFP this fiscal year. But he claimed that other nations have not taken enough action.

Beasley replied, As we heard, China only gave us $3 million. The Gulf states should be stepping up in ways we have never seen before with unprecedented oil prices, which are worsening the food problem.

On Wednesday, the cost of a barrel of crude oil was $107, which has significantly increased the expense of carrying food. Beasley informed the lawmakers that his organisation, which was already having trouble making ends meet, now has additional expenses of $74 million each month due to shipping charges.

On the same day that Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska addressed legislators, pleading for additional weaponry for her country to defend itself against Russia's invasion, the WFP chief separately met members of the Senate and House foreign affairs committees.

Prior to the invasion on February 24, Ukraine was a leading grain exporter, producing enough grain to feed 400 million people globally. Ukraine is where WFP purchases half of its grain.

What do you think would happen if you remove enough food from the market to feed 400 million people? The poorest of the poor will be devastated, Beasley warned lawmakers.

Food security war

The head of the WFP, whose organisation was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, claimed that when the war started, he went to the Ukrainian port city of Odesa in the south, where more than 5 million metric tonnes of grain were exported each month.

Regardless of your opinions about Ukraine, you cannot declare a complete war on global food security and force famine upon nations around the world, as I tweeted and told President [Vladimir] Putin. Activate these ports. Open up these ports if you have any heart at all, Beasley said.

With Turkey acting as a mediator, the United Nations has been attempting to reach an agreement with Russia and Ukraine to convince Moscow to lift its blockade for months. Beasley and American Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who also briefed senators, expressed optimism that a final agreement will be revealed soon.

Thomas-Greenfield pointed out that the Kremlin's disinformation effort, which blames Western sanctions for the food crisis and the rising price of fertiliser, of which Russia is the world's largest exporter, on developing countries, has been successful.

When, in reality, there are no sanctions on their fertiliser or agricultural products, Thomas-Greenfield emphasised. They are able to transport their agricultural goods. If they so desired, they could transfer their wheat. However, they would rather place the responsibility elsewhere, believing that will win them more support from the general public. And I believe they failed.

One of the things USAID is working on, according to Samantha Power, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, is assisting African nations in reducing their reliance on fertiliser from Russia, which is no longer a trustworthy supplier.

Therefore, Power explained, We are seeking diversification and also to ensure in Africa production of fertiliser, as well as food sovereignty in nations that are overly import-dependent.

criticism of China and Russia

Concern over the circumstance and Russia's information effort was expressed by lawmakers. As food shortages increases, they also condemned China for siding with Russia.

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez stated that China is guilty, as well as Russia, for permitting Russia to use food as a weapon of war – for the denial of food.

As Thomas-Greenfield told senators, We have continued to encourage the Chinese to end what we perceive as a really poor relationship that they have developed with the Russians in terms of supporting their activities in Ukraine. The safeguarding of the [U.N.] Charter and the sovereignty of borders are in opposition to what the Chinese government has stated is a priority.

After the hearing on Wednesday, Power announced that she would be travelling to the Horn of Africa, where the United Nations estimates that 18.4 million people in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya require food assistance due to violence and a severe drought.

According to Thomas-Greenfield, she will also be travelling to the area in roughly ten days to talk to nations about the food situation.

Thanks for Reading. Subscribe us for More Updates.