The escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict has triggered surging food prices around the world. This is happening while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause disruptions to global food systems. Today, 1.6 billion people aren’t sure that they will have enough to eat, and 276 million people are on the brink of starvation.
Ukraine and Russia are major suppliers of wheat, oil, and maize, as well as fertilizers used in agriculture. Before the war, Ukrainian and Russian farmers were feeding 800 million people around the world. The intensified conflict has fueled rising costs of these staple foods, putting severe strain on the already-struggling economies of developing countries in northern Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
In Syria, where World Renew supports families displaced by the Syrian civil war, the cost of cooking oil increased four times within the first two weeks of the escalation of hostilities in Ukraine. In Lebanon, a country heavily dependent on grain imports, bakeries have been forced to ration bread—a staple for poor working families and Syrian refugees who have found refuge in the country.
We are asking for your support so we can continue to stand by our commitment to families facing food insecurity in Syria and Lebanon—and the many other regions where we work. Please help us respond quickly to the urgent food needs of families, as the soaring prices of key staple crops continue to take a toll on the world’s most vulnerable.