UN Secretary-General Guterres: The world needs to act to avoid famine
2022-07-19 09:33:26Source: CCTV News
On July 18, local time, the United Nations held a high-level meeting on addressing the global food crisis. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his speech that the world faces a series of challenges, including climate change, the new crown epidemic, conflict and rising inflation. Against this backdrop, the prices of food, energy and fertilizers are soaring, exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine, which ultimately leads to economic hardship, social unrest and record levels of hunger.
Guterres noted that the number of people facing severe food insecurity has doubled in the past two years, as the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report shows. The world faces a real risk of multiple famines this year, and next year could be even worse. The world could avert this catastrophe if it acted now.
Guterres called for the immediate reintegration of Ukrainian food production and Russian food and fertilizers into world markets and to keep global trade open. Address the financial crisis in developing countries and urgently release all possible resources to strengthen social protection and support smallholders and family farms to become more productive and self-reliant. Reforming food systems at every level to make affordable, healthy and sustainable diets accessible to everyone, everywhere. The United Nations is committed to working with all to resolve this crisis and continues to push for a global food system that works for all.