The World Trade Organization (WTO) warns that the food crisis could last for years if the war in Ukraine continues.
Citing WTO Chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's interview with the BBC, he said that African countries were the most affected by the shortage of wheat and fertilizer.
This is because, millions of tons of grain stuck in Ukrainian warehouses and ports could not be exported due to Russian aggression.
Ukraine is a major global exporter of wheat accounting for 9% of the world market. It also accounts for a large portion of 42% of the global sunflower oil market and 16% of the world’s corn.
Following congestion due to Moscow’s blockade of Black Sea ports and Russian and Ukrainian mines along the coast, around 20 to 25 million tonnes of wheat were stuck in Kiev resulting in soaring global grain prices.
As a measure to solve the problem, the United Nations (UN) is trying to create a ‘grain corridor’ with Turkish naval escorts for tankers leaving Odessa and other Ukrainian ports.
However, the effort failed when both countries refused to compromise on the conditions imposed.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine needs to clear mines from its Black Sea ports.
Ukraine, meanwhile, asked for security guarantees before starting deliveries for fear Moscow would use the corridor to attack Odessa from the sea.
