The war made the already-climbing world food prices skyrocket by preventing some 20 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain from reaching the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Asia. As a result, up to 181 million people in 41 countries could face a food crisis or even outright famine, United Nations projections show. A total of 750,000 people are already facing starvation and death in Ethiopia, Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and Afghanistan. Despite the war being thousands of miles away, prices of grain and fuel in the Horn of Africa are being pushed to unprecedented levels. As UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed concluded during his speech at the Economic and Social Council meeting:“The world is facing a global hunger crisis of unprecedented proportions, and we are at a critical crossroads.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 21, 2022 16:00 UTC