Human Rights Watch warns Russia's war causing African food crisis

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has worsened the food security crisis in African countries, Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned in a report released on Thursday.

The report noted that most African countries rely hugely on Ukraine and Russia for vegetable oils, fertilizers, wheat and wheat imports, which make up most staples.

“The war disrupts global commodity markets and trade flows to Africa, increasing already high food prices in the region. Even countries that import little from the two countries are indirectly impacted by higher world prices for key commodities,” the New York-based rights group said.

Lena Simet, a senior researcher on poverty and inequality at HRW, said: "Many countries in Africa were already in a food crisis, rising prices are compounding the plight of millions of people thrown into poverty by the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring urgent action by governments and the international community.”

According to the report, before the war, countries in Africa, especially Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon and Angola, were already grappling with soaring food prices due to extreme climate and weather events such as floods, landslides, and droughts, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted production efforts and global supply chains.

Nigeria, the world’s fourth largest wheat importer, receives a fourth of its imports from Russia and Ukraine. Cameroon, Tanzania, Uganda, and Sudan source more than 40 percent of their wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine.

“The war in Ukraine has led to more people across Africa going hungry. Governments should do everything in their power to mitigate the impact of rising food prices and avert a hunger crisis,” Simet said, adding that expanding social protection and ensuring the supply of affordable food is critical to protecting the right to food for everyone.

According to the report, before the war, in Kenya 7 out of 10 people were already food insecure, in Cameroon more than half of the population and in Nigeria food insecurity affected nearly six out of 10 people.