Ukraine war is fuelling global food crisis, says UN

Kremlin’s failure to open Ukrainian ports would be ‘declaration of war on global food security’, says UN World Food Programme boss

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres (AP)

The world faces a global food crisis due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, with hunger levels already “at a new high”, the UN’s secretary general has warned.

Antonio Guterres, the former Portuguese prime minister who now heads the UN, said on Wednesday that he was engaged in “intense” discussions with Russia and Ukraine to improve the situation.

The Kremlin has blockaded Ukraine’s ports, leaving it unable to export more than 20 million tonnes of grains held in silos.