Hosted by the House Hunger Caucus The crisis in Ukraine comes at a time when 45 million people are facing an emergency or catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity. Moreover, the conflict in Ukraine caused a spike in the global price of wheat, up to its highest level since 2008 when the world had its last severe global food price crisis. This is due to the fact that Russia and Ukraine export 29% of the world’s wheat—almost one-third of the global market’s wheat supply. It is unclear if Ukraine will be able to harvest existing crops, plant new ones, or sustain livestock production as the conflict continues. As insecurity persists and both local and national supply chains are disrupted, people are likely to fall deeper into emergency levels of hunger and malnutrition. Countries like Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Syria, and Yemen depend on wheat from this region and will be significantly impacted by this crisis. Humanitarian organizations are already feeling the brunt of rising costs, having to reduce rations for vulnerable populations globally.
