World / UN chief said One fifth of humanity could face poverty hunger resulting from Ukraine crisis

In a serious warning about the Ukraine crisis, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that a fifth of the world's population is on the verge of starvation. He said the Ukraine crisis could plunge more than a fifth of humanity, or more than 1.7 billion people, into poverty and hunger.

"We are all witnessing the tragedy in Ukraine," Guterres said in an interview with Czech Sejnam Japravi Publications published on Sunday. But beyond its borders, the war has launched a silent attack on the developing world. The crisis is 1.7 billion. could push people, or more than a fifth of humanity, into poverty and hunger that have not been seen in decades."

Ukraine and Russia account for 30 percent of the world production of wheat and barley. One-fifth of all corn and more than half of all sunflower oil comes from these two countries. Taking these figures into account, UN chief Guterres said the 45 least developed countries import more than a third of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine.

The UN Secretary-General said the Ukraine crisis was halting grain exports and disrupting supply chains, causing prices to skyrocket. Since the beginning of 2022, wheat and corn prices have risen 30 percent, Brent crude oil prices have risen more than 60 percent, while gas and fertilizer prices have more than doubled.

Guterres called for global reforms that would transform the world's financial system. He said the current system "makes the rich rich and the poor poor."

International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday that the Ukraine conflict would lower forecasts for 143 economies this year, which collectively make up 86 percent of the world's GDP.

The heads of the IMF, the World Bank, the World Food Program (WFP) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) issued a joint statement on Wednesday calling for immediate, coordinated action to address food security amid the Ukraine crisis.