On May 18 local time, a ministerial meeting on global food security was held at the United Nations headquarters in New York. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken presided over the meeting. UN Secretary General Guterres briefed foreign ministers on the latest situation Guterres said that the current level of global hunger is at a new high. In just two years, the number of people seriously lacking food security has doubled, from 135 million before the new coronavirus to 276 million today. More than 500000 people live in famine, an increase of more than 500% since 2016.
Guterres pointed out that in the past year, global food prices have increased by nearly one-third, chemical fertilizer prices have increased by more than half, and oil prices have increased by nearly two-thirds. Most developing countries lack fiscal space to cushion the impact of these increases. Many countries are unable to borrow because markets are closed to them, while those that can borrow are charged high interest rates, exposing them to debt distress and the risk of default.
Guterres stressed that the world needs to reduce market pressure by increasing the supply of food and chemical fertilizer. If the food of Ukraine and the food and chemical fertilizer of Russia and Belarus are not reintegrated into the world market, the food crisis cannot be effectively solved. Social protection systems need to cover everyone in need, and developing countries must have access to liquidity in order to provide protection to everyone in need. International financial institutions need to intervene through a large amount of investment to prevent the occurrence of a global debt crisis. The government must support agricultural production, and humanitarian action also needs to be adequately funded.
Guterres said that the United Nations is paying close attention to the prospect of global food security and promoting the international community to take immediate measures. The global food, energy and financial crisis response team is addressing the impact of the crisis on vulnerable groups and identifying and promoting solutions. No country can overcome the food crisis without borders. The only chance to free millions of people from hunger is urgent and concerted action.