Russia's invasion of Ukraine will have rippling effects in populations far outside the two countries in conflict, especially in the global food supply, experts are warning. The war in Ukraine could plunge millions into malnutrition if governments, donors, and funders do not act now to prevent a shortage of the nutritional staples typically exported out of the region. Women and children in low- and middle-income countries are particularly vulnerable, according to the op-ed, which was authored by 10 nutrition and food supply experts from all over the world. The nutritional needs of children are high, relative to their body size, and women's nutritional needs are especially high when pregnant and breastfeeding. "Impacts of malnutrition might be less immediately visible than those of hunger. But left untreated, they can be multi-generational and irreversible," the authors wrote.
Existing gender inequality and power imbalances, which are often exacerbated during crises, result in women having less agency to direct resources toward feeding themselves and their children, the experts said. Ukraine is considered on one of the breadbaskets of the world and is a top 10 global exporter of a number of key agricultural products, including wheat, barley, corn, sunflower oil, soybeans and poultry. An estimated 70 percent of the country is used for farmland—land that is currently being devastated by assaults by Russian forces. Countries in Africa and the Middle East are particularly vulnerable, while Somalia and Benin have total dependence on imports of mostly Russian and Ukrainian wheat, according to a rapid assessment by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Several countries rely on Russia and Ukraine for more than half their wheat imports. The number of malnourished people, especially women and children, is expected to increase as a result of record-high price hikes and disruptions in the trade of food, fertilizer, and fuel, according to the paper.
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