According to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), the world is in danger of heading toward yet another year of record hunger. "We are at a critical crossroads. To avert the hunger catastrophe the world is facing, everyone must step up," said the WFP. "Unless the necessary resources are made available, lost lives and the reversal of hard-earned development gains will be the price to pay." (Related: A global food shortage "catastrophe" is unfolding, warns UN chief.)
True enough, the WFP ramped up food assistance to reach a record 153 million people in 2022. It stated that $24 billion is needed to achieve this goal. By the middle of the year, it had already given assistance to 111.2 million people across the globe – in spite of sky-high demand and food supplies being stretched thin.
A combination of climate shocks, conflicts and economic pressures drove the number of starving people worldwide from 282 million to 345 million in just the first quarter of 2022.
Thanks to the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates, the value of the U.S. dollar went up. But it forced poor nations to shell out much more in their local currencies to pay for food.
Food importers all over the globe are feeling the pinch.
In Ghana, importers are warning about scarcity in the warmup for Christmas. Thousands of containers loaded with food are currently stacked up at ports in Pakistan, while private bakers in Egypt increased bread prices after a few flour mills ran out of wheat because it was stranded at customs.
Half of global population likely to starve without fertilizer
The Russia-Ukraine war that began in late February has definitely limited the flow of crops and fertilizer for a long time. It is set to become worse as the conflict drags on, given that there is no foreseeable end to the war.
Making things worse is Europe's fertilizer production being crippled by the energy crisis brought about by the war. Currently, two-thirds of all fertilizer production capacity in Europe has already been closed due to the soaring cost of natural gas.
Europe's fertilizer crisis is increasing with the production capacity stopped by rising gas prices, which is alarming farmers and consumers far away from the continent's borders.
Russia's crush on gas shipments in the aftermath of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine is harming industries throughout Europe.
Fertilizer corporations are being particularly affected because gas is both a principal feedstock and a power source for the region. This is going to be a big problem because without fertilizer, half of the world's population would likely starve.
Most people in the West, however, don't care until they suffer hunger themselves. That day is closer than most people ever thought.
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Watch the video below to know why Russia is being condemned for fueling the global food crisis.
This video is from the Chinese taking down EVIL CCP channel on Brighteon.com.
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Natural gas shortage worsening in Europe and will trigger food crisis in coming months: Report.
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