For the people of Ukraine, the Russian invasion is a waking nightmare, and a humanitarian disaster on a terrifying scale
We have all seen the tragedy unfolding inside Ukraine: cities flattened; people suffering and dying in their homes and in the streets; the fastest displacement crisis in Europe since the Second World War.
Ukraine and the Russian Federation provide 30% of the world’s wheat and barley, one-fifth of its maize and more than 50% of its sunflower oil. Together, their grain feeds the poorest and most vulnerable people, providing more than one-third of the wheat imported by 45 African and least-developed countries.
Brent oil prices have risen more than 60% over the last year, while natural gas and fertiliser prices have more than doubled.The UN’s own lifesaving operations are under severe strain. The World Food Programme has warned that it faces the impossible choice of taking from the hungry to feed the starving. It urgently needs $8 billion (R116 billion to support its operations in Yemen, Chad and Niger.
Humanitarian appeals must be fully funded, including for the WFP. We simply cannot allow people to starve in the 21st century. On energy, the use of strategic stockpiles and additional reserves could help to ease this energy crisis in the short term.But the only medium- and long-term solution is to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy, which is not impacted by market fluctuations. This will allow the progressive phase-out of coal and all other fossil fuels.
Social protection, including cash transfers, will be essential to support desperate families through this crisis.