The catastrophic three Cs – conflict, climate change and Covid-19 – have worsened the food security crisis globally, including in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, outlined a senior US official.
The US Economic and Business Affairs assistant state secretary Ramin Toloui further sounded the alarm over the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict as Arab countries rely heavily on wheat imports from both European countries.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has dramatically aggravated food insecurity, pushing tens of millions of additional people into the ranks of the ‘food insecure’,” Mr Toloui said during a briefing with the media, including the GDN.
“We know this pain is keenly felt in the Mena region, where most countries import at least half of their wheat from Ukraine.”
If we ‘take a step back’ at the causes of food security concern, he added, other armed conflicts, climate change and the impact of Covid-19 had already made global food insecurity a major issue.
The official added the US continued to play ‘a key role’ in helping to mitigate the crisis by assisting countries, including many in the Middle East.
“Since February, the US has committed almost $900m in emergency food assistance to countries in the Mena region, and that includes around $470m for Yemen, $450m for the Syrian regional crisis and about $60m for Lebanon.”
This is in addition to supporting Syrian refugees in Jordan and Turkey.
Russia denies responsibility for the food crisis, blaming it on Western sanctions imposed on Moscow that have led to a jump in global food prices and warnings by the United Nations (UN) of hunger in poorer countries that rely heavily on imported grain. It also says mines laid by Ukraine around its ports were making it impossible for merchant ships to leave.
Mr Toloui added the US sanctions did not apply to food and fertiliser from Russia. He further reiterated international calls urging Russia to open up the Black Sea routes crucial for exporting any larger quantity of Ukrainian grain.
“The reality is that Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s ports, warehouses and transportation networks, as well as Russian warships’ harassment of shipping lanes in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, have shut down Ukraine’s exports, including exports of food.
“Due to Russia’s aggressive tactics, grain that was destined for Mena and elsewhere is sitting and rotting in Black Sea ports.”
He added the US had announced more than $2.5 billion in humanitarian food assistance since Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine that addresses urgent food security around the world, including in countries in the Mena region.
“The (Joe) Biden-(Kamala) Harris administration has taken a number of steps to encourage greater food production and also greater production of fertiliser.
“For example, the administration has expanded insurance for (American) farmers to do what’s called ‘double cropping’ that increases the amount of planting that is done over the course of the year,” said Mr Toloui.
He said they were working to mitigate the global fertiliser crisis globally by encouraging other countries to temporarily increase fertiliser production and work with multilateral agencies.
“We’ve had discussions with a number of our partners in the Middle East and in the Gulf, and I think all countries in the region, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and others, have a really important role to play during this period of time,” added the US official.
“We are active in mobilising resources to meet some of these urgent humanitarian needs not only in the region, but around the world.
“And, we look forward to partnering with the countries in the region to help meet those needs.”
Earlier this month, officials from the six Gulf states attended the 32nd virtual meeting of the GCC Agricultural Cooperation Committee and discussed ways of forging new partnerships and scaling joint projects to enhance food security, livestock and fisheries.
Kyiv harvested a record 84 million tonnes of grain in clean weight in 2021, up from 65m tonnes in 2020. Overall the two nations in conflict account for nearly 14 per cent of global wheat production.
Fortunately, officials said last month that Bahrain Flour Mills Company has a strategic reserve for about a year and is supported by the government to stabilise the prices of bread for consumers.
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