Andrzej Duda made the declaration at the 2022 World Food Forum in Rome, Italy, on Monday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Russia’s war endangers food security of '345 million people in 82 countries'
Speaking during the opening of the five-day United Nations event, the Polish president said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had “significantly exacerbated” the global food crisis partly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He stressed that Ukraine, one of the world’s top exporters of food and farm produce, has been unable to bring much of its harvest to the world due to the Russian invasion.
Duda told his audience in Rome: “According to the UN World Food Programme, Russia’s attack, supported by Belarus, is causing a serious threat to the food security of not only Ukrainians, but as many as 345 million people in 82 countries."
He added that, as a result of the war, “the number of people suffering from chronic hunger around the world may rise by up to 47 million.”
The Polish president also said that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine was “undermining the international community’s efforts to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals, notably on peace, justice and strong institutions, decent work and economic growth as well as reduced inequalities, zero hunger and no poverty.”
Russian aggression must be 'repelled as soon as possible’
Duda added: “And also for these reasons we must seek urgently to make sure that the Russian aggression against Ukraine is repelled as soon as possible.”
The president stressed that Poland was providing military assistance to Ukraine, as well as helping export its food, with an estimated 1 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain reaching Poland since February 24, the PAP news agency reported.
He added: “We are also delivering significant amounts of food to Ukraine. We are supporting refugees from Ukraine, of whom some 2 million have chosen my country as their safe haven.”
‘Poland will seek to increase pressure on Russia to withdraw from Ukraine’
Duda vowed: “Poland will continue to play a role in forging solutions that support global food security and sustainable development. At the same time, we will seek to increase pressure on Russia to stop creating global threats, to cease its aggression and to withdraw from the internationally recognised territories of Ukraine, ending its occupation of these territories that has continued since 2014.”
'Food security is of fundamental importance'
He added: "Ensuring food security is of fundamental importance. We must and we should share our food resources with others."
During his visit to Italy, the Polish president is scheduled to hold talks with the director-general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Qu Dongyu, as well as Italian President Sergio Mattarella, according to officials.
The Italian head of state was instrumental in promoting Duda’s initiative to grant Ukraine candidate status to join the European Union, reporters were told.
Monday is day 236 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, prezydent.pl, world-food-forum.org