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MOSCOW. – Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed readiness of the Russian side to export fertilizers and foods if sanctions are lifted in the telephone conversation with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday, the Kremlin’s press service said.

“In the light of problems on the global food market occurred in consequence of the unwise financial and economic policy of Western states, it was confirmed that Russia can export considerable volumes of fertilizers and agricultural produce in case relevant anti-Russian sanction restrictions are lifted,” the Kremlin said.

Mr Putin and Erdogan discussed the situation in Ukraine with the focus on providing safe navigation in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov and elimination of the mine threat in their water areas, the Kremlin’s press service added. 

“Vladimir Putin noted readiness of the Russian side to facilitate unobstructed seaborne transit of goods in coordination with Turkish partners. This also pertains to export of grain from Ukrainian ports,” the press service noted.

Meanwhile, The world is facing the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II, driven by the compounded effects of COVID-19, climate change, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict that are exacerbating already skyrocketing food and energy prices and causing severe hunger, according to the head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

Speaking at a session called Averting a Global Food Crisis in , Switzerland, David Beasley, executive director of the WFP, said: “Just when you think it could not get any worse over a year ago… and then the breadbasket of the world (Ukraine) now has the longest bread lines in the world.

“Now, because of this crisis, we are taking the food from the hungry to the starving. It is absolutely a crisis mode. What do you think is going to happen when you take a nation that normally grows enough food to feed 400 million people and you sideline that?”

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has delivered a major shock to already fragile global food and fertilizer markets and is expected to significantly worsen food and nutrition insecurity, which was already at a very high level.

Beasley warned that the world will likely face a food availability issue in a year’s time, which will impact everyone. Ukraine and Russia are top exporters of major grains and vegetable oils.

According to the Global Network Against Food Crises – an alliance of humanitarian and development actors – 50 percent of the global market of sunflower seed oil is supplied by Ukraine. 

Given their important role in providing food, particularly wheat, uncertainty around food production and exports could cause greater food instability and hunger.

And there is no silver bullet or easy solution, said Mariam Mohammed Saeed Al Mheiri, minister of climate change and the environment for the United Arab Emirates.

She said everyone needs to work together across the whole food supply chain, from producers to consumers.

Despite having 60 percent of the world’s arable land, Africa is a major importer of food, and the situation in Ukraine threatens to cut off supplies to much of the continent. – TASS and ChinaDaily.com