UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message is clear: countries must act now to save lives and livelihoods in Ukraine and beyond.
“Three months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we face a new reality,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres at a press conference to launch the latest report on the conflict’s impacts on food security, energy, and financing.
Ripple effects from the war in Ukraine have generated a severe cost-of-living crisis which no country or community can escape, he told reporters.
“For those on the ground, every day brings new bloodshed and suffering. And for people around the world, the war is threatening to unleash an unprecedented wave of hunger and destitution, leaving social and economic chaos in its wake.”
The number of severely food insecure people doubled from 135 million prior to the pandemic, to 276 million over just two years. The ripple effects of the war could push this number to 323 million.
