DW wrote in an article that the Middle Eastern and North African countries rely heavily on wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine. The current war could lead to a severe food crisis in a region already under pressure. Senior research fellow David Laborde said, “The Black Sea is of strategic importance for Ukraine’s wheat supply chain as exports to the MENA region are exclusively shipped by sea.” He added, “The wheat that people are currently trading comes from the harvest of July 2021. That is before the invasion. Around one-quarter of the harvest is still available over the next three months. But the fact that people can’t operate in the port can create a shortage for countries such as Egypt and Lebanon.” Laborde mentioned that “The Russia-Ukraine conflict leaves us with a gloomy situation as we don’t know if the next wheat harvest and planting season is going to happen at all. The world can’t afford yet another production and trade obstacle [after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic].” Republished in
N Guoi Dua Tin (Viet Nam)