For the 811 million people around the globe living in hunger, the effects of the conflict in Ukraine represent another deeply alarming threat to their food security. Women, children, and other marginalized groups, who disproportionately bear the brunt of hunger crises, are especially vulnerable. Without urgent humanitarian action, we risk letting millions more people reach the brink of famine.
No Calm Before the Storm
The genesis of the present hunger crisis goes back farther than February 2022 and is due to a combination of global and localized factors. Globally, climate change has compromised agricultural livelihoods and led to displacement, especially in regions like the Horn of Africa and Central America’s Dry Corridor, where famers struggle to produce yields that meet the needs of local markets.
The global economic fallouts associated with COVID-19, and inadequate social safety nets, have led to record unemployment and growing poverty—especially for women and women-led households (UN Women 2021)—so that even where food is available, high prices put basic items out of reach for many. Armed conflict is also driving food insecurity, for example by making it difficult for farmers to cultivate their lands, or damaging or disrupting vital agricultural infrastructure—such as transportation, storage and distribution sites—and reducing access to markets and assistance.