Hunger Crisis Looms in Africa as Ukraine War Cuts Off Wheat Imports Amid Climate Crisis & Pandemic

This week U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is in Nigeria, where he warned Russia's invasion of Ukraine is leading to a growing hunger crisis in Africa. A new report by Human Rights Watch finds the Russian invasion of Ukraine has worsened food insecurity, particularly for African countries that were already experiencing a hunger crisis. Russia and Ukraine are leading exporters of wheat and other grains, while countries such as Cameroon, Nigeria and Uganda are among the largest importers. With climate change and trade stalled by the coronavirus pandemic, all these changes within the availability of food has sent the food prices to new levels," says Lena Simet, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. Advocates are calling on exporting countries such as the United States and Canada to open their markets, to not introduce export restrictions, and provide essential grains at an affordable price to humanitarian organizations," she adds.