26 May 2022
Senegal’s president and African Union chairman Macky Sall said on Wednesday that when he visits Russia and Ukraine in the coming weeks he will push them to unblock exports of grains and fertilizer to avoid widespread famine.
Africa is suffering from disruptions in food supply and soaring prices of basic goods and risks “disastrous consequences” if the situation endures, Sall said during a conversation with philanthropist Mo Ibrahim at the Ibrahim Governance Forum.
Nearly half of Africa’s 54 countries rely on Russia and Ukraine for wheat imports, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. Russia is also a major supplier of fertilizer to at least 11 countries.
Parts of Africa are already facing record hunger levels, driven by insecurity, climate shocks and the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Source News24
