WTO headquarters in Geneva. File photoLONDON, Mar 25 World Trade Organization (WTO) chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told the Guardian that rising global food prices over Ukraine could spark unrest from hungry people in poor countries.
"The impact on food prices and hunger this year and next will be significant. Food and fuel are the two most important items in the shopping basket of poor people around the world. Poor countries and poor people in poor countries will suffer the most,” said Okonjo-Iweala.
She noted that 35 African countries depended on food supplies from the Black Sea region. «If we do not think about how to mitigate the consequences of the war, it will be another disaster, not only this year, but next,» the head of the organization added. She expressed concern that there is a danger of food riots like those that occurred in the 2000s after a sharp increase in food prices. Okonjo-Iweala also said that she could not imagine Russia's exclusion from the WTO due to a special operation in Ukraine, because this process will be complex and will require the approval of 75 percent of the member countries.Macron called for a plan to mitigate the food crisisRussia launched a military operation on February 24 to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine. In response, Western countries announced large-scale sanctions against Moscow, primarily in the banking sector and the supply of high-tech products. Some brands have announced the termination of work in the country. The Kremlin called these measures an economic war, the likes of which have not yet been. The authorities stressed their readiness for such a development of events and assured that they would continue to fulfill social obligations. The Bank of Russia is taking measures to stabilize the situation on the foreign exchange market. As Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said earlier, the government has prepared a plan to counter restrictive measures, which includes about a hundred initiatives. The volume of its funding will amount to about a trillion rubles. President Vladimir Putin signed a decree the day before, expanding the powers of regional authorities in the socio-economic sphere. The document also obliges them to increase social benefits, provide targeted support to citizens, ensure price stability for essential goods, control the situation on the labor market and reduce administrative barriers for private businesses. The President also announced an increase in pensions, a living wage and salaries for state employees. 
Farmers around the world are facing a shortage of fertilizers, media reported