Perspective of nuclear conflict and “famine hurricane”, warns the UN secretary

Reuters, Afp, Sputnik and Europa Press

Newspaper La Jornada
Tuesday, March 15, 2022, p. 4

New York., The Secretary General of the United Nations Organization (UN), Antonio Guterres, warned yesterday: the prospect of a nuclear conflict, previously unthinkable, is now once again a possibilitywarning that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may also result in a famine hurricane in many countries.

In an appearance before the press at the UN headquarters in New York, he called for preserving the security and protection of nuclear facilities, after pointing out that raising the alert level of Russian nuclear forces is a chilling development.

He argued that a further escalation of the war, either by accident or by designwould pose a threat to all mankind.

He insisted that any attack against the civilian population or infrastructure is unfortunate when accidental and reprehensible when done on purposeadding that most of the civilian casualties and the destruction of civil works are the responsibility of the Russian forces.

The UN leader once again urged the warring parties to opt for diplomacy and peace and predicted: This war will have no winners, only losers.

He reported that he has been in contact with several countries, including China, France, Germany, India, Israel and Turkey, in the context of mediation efforts to end the war that began on February 24.

Guterres also warned yesterday against the repercussions of the war that Russia is waging in Ukraine, which could result in a famine hurricane in many countries.

The brake on agricultural production in Ukraine and Russia due to the war will hit hardest on the poorest and will sow seeds of political instability and unrest around the worldGuterres stressed. This war affects much more than Ukrainesentenced.

“Cereal prices have already exceeded those of the early Arab Spring and food riots of 2007-2008,” he said, adding that the UN’s World Food Price Index for Food and Agriculture (FAO) ) is at its highest level ever recorded. We must do everything to prevent a famine hurricane and the collapse of the global food systemGuterres stressed.

Russia and Ukraine are both considered the grain barn of the world. Total, 45 African and least developed countries import at least a third of their wheat from Ukraine or Russia; 18 of these countries import at least 50 percent. This includes countries such as Burkina Faso, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.said Guterres, who again called for an end to hostilities.

Meanwhile, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths announced the release of $40 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for Ukraine.

The war in that country has already left more than two million internally displaced persons, but many are unable to leave their homes due to heavy fighting in cities like Mariupol, Kharkov and kyivindicated a statement from his office, which recorded 24 attacks on health facilities till the date.

In the face of this grim, worsening crisis, we mobilize a massive relief effortGriffiths said. That 40 million dollars are essential to start operationshe said, adding that fast and flexible financing can make all the difference.

Meanwhile, Poland, which claims to have already hosted 1.8 of the 2.8 million Ukrainian refugees, has proposed creating an aid fund for Ukraine with confiscated Russian assets.

Polish Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Wasik reiterated that last week Polish President Andrzej Duda approved the creation of an assistance fund for Ukraine that provides for the allocation of some 1.86 million dollars for humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian refugees.

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed 31 attacks on health centers in Ukraine, with 12 deaths and 34 injuries, of which eight of the injured and two of the dead were health workers.

The UN Refugee Agency celebrated a record $200 million in private donations for emergency response for ukrainereported in a statement, in which he thanked the contributions and requested more help to total 510 million dollars of assistance for the Ukrainian cause.

A Fox News journalist was injured while covering the conflict outside kyiv and remains hospitalized, the US network said.

This is the British Benjamin Hall, who covers the State Department for the chain and was injured while looking for information on the outskirts of kyiv, Fox News added in a statement, in which he said he had minimal details about what happened.