UN Security Council: Food insecurity tops agenda

Many low-income countries import staple crops from Russia and Ukraine. [AP photo]

In response, Ukraine has been forced to reroute its grain exports through its ports along the Danube River, shipping them to Europe through neighboring Romania. However, Russia has further targeted Ukraine's access to the river, which had served as the primary alternative route for grain exports out of the country.

On Wednesday, Russian drone attacks hit the Ukrainian port city of Izmail on the Danube, damaging port infrastructure.

Grain exports: What is Ukraine's plan B?

Along with the Black Sea grain deal came a three-year agreement between the UN and Russia designed to streamline Moscow's food and fertilizer exports despite Western sanctions on the Russian Economy. But Russia has long complained that restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance amounted to a barrier on shipments.

Efforts by UN officials to revive the grain deal have so far been unsuccessful.

However, in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow was ready to return to the Black Sea grain deal as soon as the West met its obligations regarding Russia's own grain and fertilizer exports.

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield confirmed Washington had seen indications that Russia might be interested in talks. "What we have been told is that they are prepared to return to discussions," she said. "We haven't seen any evidence of that yet."

Other factors fueling global food crisis

The war in Ukraine and the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal are just two among several factors contributing to a long-standing global food crisis.

Alarmed by rising prices and growing demand, other countries producing large amounts of staple food items have restricted their exports.

On July 20, India, the world's top rice exporter, banned exports of non-basmati white rice to combat rising prices at home.

Extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, drought and floods have also adversely affected harvests.

The return of El Nino, a natural climate phenomenon, has caused floods, drought and storms in numerous regions, disrupting agriculture and fishing sectors, and exacerbating food cost inflation.

Last year's devastating floods in Pakistan, for instance, washed away nearly half the country's crops, while record-breaking heatwaves in southern Europe severely damaged summer crops and dairy products.

Last month, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published its annual report on food security, revealing that the world continues to grapple with the economic repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic and resulting supply-chain disruptions.

According to the FAO's estimates, about 700 million people faced hunger in 2022, an increase of 122 million compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels; with Africa, the Caribbean, and Western Asia experiencing the most alarming increases in hunger levels for the year.