Russia's war on Ukraine threatens to devastate the economies of many developing countries that are now facing even higher food and energy costs and increasingly difficult financial conditions, a UN task force warned Wednesday.
Some of the world's poorest countries rely on Russia and Ukraine for more than half of their wheat imports and prices have risen 30% since January.
Russia's war on Ukraine threatens to devastate the economies of many developing countries that are now facing even higher food and energy costs and increasingly difficult financial conditions, a UN task force warned Wednesday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres released the report saying that the war is 바카라supercharging바카라 a crisis in food, energy and finance in poorer countries that were already struggling to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and a lack of access to adequate funding for economic recovery.
바카라We are now facing a perfect storm that threatens to devastate the economies of many developing countries,바카라 Guterres said at a news conference. 바카라As many as 1.7 billion people -- one-third of whom are already living in poverty -- are now highly exposed to disruptions in food, energy and finance systems that are triggering increases in poverty and hunger.바카라
Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of the UN agency promoting trade and development who coordinated the task force, said those people live in 107 countries that have 바카라severe exposure바카라 to at least one dimension of the crisis -- rising food prices, increasing energy prices and tightening financial conditions.
In these countries, the report says, people struggle to afford healthy diets, imports are essential to meet food and energy needs, and 바카라debt burdens and tightening resources limit government's ability to cope with the vagaries of global financial conditions.바카라
The report says 69 of the countries, with a population of 1.2 billion people, face a 바카라perfect storm바카라 and are severely or significantly exposed to all three crises. They include 25 countries in Africa, 25 in Asia and the Pacific, and 19 in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24, prices were already on the rise, 바카라but the war has made a bad situation worse,바카라 Guterres said.
Thirty-six countries rely on Russia and Ukraine for more than half their wheat imports, including some of the world's poorest countries, he said, and wheat and corn prices have risen 30% just since the start of the year.
Russia is also the world's top natural gas exporter and second-largest oil exporter, and Russia and neighboring Belarus export about 20% of the world's fertilizers. Guterres said oil prices have increased more than 60% over the past year, natural gas prices have jumped 50% in recent months, and fertiliser prices have doubled.
The task force said the world is 바카라on the brink of a global debt crisis바카라. Grynspan, who heads the UN Conference on Trade and Development, pointed to Sri Lanka's default on a debt payment Tuesday and said other countries are asking for help.
Guterres said the world can act to tackle the 바카라three-dimensional crisis바카라 and 바카라cushion the blow.바카라
The task force calls on countries to ensure a steady flow of food and fertiliser through open markets, lift export restrictions, and direct surpluses and reserves to those in need. Guterres said this would help keep a lid on food prices and calm volatility in food markets.
On energy, the task force urges governments to refrain from hoarding, immediately release strategic petroleum stockpiles and additional reserves, and reduce the use of wheat for biofuels. Guterres urged countries to use the crisis as an opportunity to accelerate the transition to renewable energy.
On finance, the task force issued 바카라an urgent call for prompt and swift action from the international community바카라 to help developing countries avoid another decade of lost economic development, 바카라a generalised debt crisis, and social and political instability바카라.
The task force says international financial institutions should provide emergency concessional financing to countries experiencing social and economic distress.
It calls on the International Monetary Fund to increase limits for rapid financial assistance, suspend interest rate surcharges for two years, and explore the possibility of providing more liquidity 바카라through special drawing rights or special measures targeted at the vulnerable and most affected countries.바카라
Guterres said the upcoming spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank on April 18-24 are 바카라a crucial moment바카라 for decisions on many of these issues. He said it is crucial that their members understand the need to use money that is available to alleviate the suffering of people around the world.
The UN chief said political will is key, and announced that he has asked six leaders -- the presidents of Senegal and Indonesia and the prime ministers of Germany, Barbados, Denmark and Bangladesh -- to mobilise political leaders to ensure that developing countries in crisis get the help they need.