African countries import almost half of their wheat from Ukraine and Russia. But in the course of the war, the deliveries stopped. Chad is now declaring a food emergency.
Central African Chad has declared a food emergency due to a lack of grain supplies in the wake of the Ukraine war.
The food situation has deteriorated extremely since the beginning of the year – international humanitarian aid is urgently needed, the military government said. According to the United Nations, 5.5 million people in Chad – a third of the population – will need food aid this year.
The statement came hours before African Union President Macky Sall is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi to call for the lifting of the export ban on grain and fertilizer.
Ukraine and Russia are the world’s largest wheat exporters. According to the United Nations, Africa’s 54 countries import almost half of their wheat from Ukraine and Russia. Russia is also a major fertilizer supplier to a dozen African countries.
Chad is one of many countries in the Sahel region facing a hunger crisis. The Horn of Africa, most notably Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Somalia, is facing its worst drought in 40 years. According to the UN, West Africa is also on the verge of the worst food crisis in ten years. According to aid organizations, 60 million people could soon go hungry in the entire Sahel region.
