UN to expand support for agricultural land demining, irrigation and seed development in Ukraine
The UN will expand support for agricultural land demining, irrigation system restoration and seed system sustainability in Ukraine, said Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.
"It has been nearly four years since the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law. The war has not only taken thousands of lives, destroyed countless Ukrainian towns and villages, and displaced millions of people. It has also disrupted global supply routes and vital Ukrainian food exports," she said during the opening of the IV International Food Security Summit Food from Ukraine in Kyiv on Wednesday.
DiCarlo cited data from the UN report on the state of food security and nutrition in the world, according to which 673 million people continue to face hunger, which is more than 8% of the world's population.
"In this context, the importance of agricultural exports from Ukraine is unquestionable. Despite the ongoing war, and the wide-spread damage to infrastructure, Ukrainian farmers continue to produce and export grain and oilseeds that feed markets worldwide. According to the estimates by the International Grain Council this season, Ukraine accounts for over 13 per cent of global maize exports, and over seven per cent of global wheat exports," DiCarlo emphasized.
She recalled that 15-16 million hectares of Ukrainian farmland are contaminated with mines, with almost a third of farms affected in frontline regions. As a result, the UN has helped protect and restore the cultivation of more than 7.5 million tonnes of grain and oilseed crops in Ukraine since the end of 2022.
Acknowledging the fundamental role of Ukraine and the Black Sea routes to global food markets, the UN Secretary-General Guterres and Türkiye brokered the Black Sea Initiative in 2022. The aim of this Initiative was to benefit Ukrainian farmers and consumers worldwide by enabling the safe transportation of nearly 33 million metric tonnes of grains and other foodstuffs to 45 countries, across three continents.
Following the expiry of the Black Sea Initiative and the establishment by Ukraine of a new corridor for its exports in 2023, the United Nations has continued to provide its support.
"The United Nations’ position remains consistent and principled: We continue to call for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire. A ceasefire that can help pave the way for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in Ukraine, in full respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in line with the UN Charter, international law, and relevant UN resolutions," DiCarlo emphasized.
