The U.S. ambassador to the Rome-based United Nations food agencies has called on the rest of the world to step up in responding to the global food crisis.
“The United States is doing absolutely everything we can do to help alleviate hunger at this particular critical time. But also we need more help from around the world,” Ambassador Cindy McCain told Devex in an interview.
“We cannot rely on the United States to solely take the lead on these things, like we always do. We need help from around the world now. And it’s an important time for us to not just suggest it, but somewhat demand it.”
McCain emphasized that the U.S. is the leading donor to food security globally and has been actively encouraging other countries to dedicate resources for mitigating the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At a global food security ministerial hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in May, the U.S. announced an additional $215 million in emergency food assistance. The administration is also drawing down the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust to support a $670 million food aid program.
In a continuation of global diplomacy to address the crisis, ministers from the G-7 group of industrial nations met last month in Berlin but did not make any significant announcements that might move the needle on hunger numbers.
The U.S. is the largest donor to the U.N. and the Rome-based agencies, which include the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. A joint report released last week by those and other U.N. agencies found that as many as 828 million people went hungry in 2021 — a figure that doesn’t even account for the effects of the war in Ukraine.
McCain did not express great confidence that a preliminary deal unveiled by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday to get grain out of Ukraine would ultimately be successful. The U.N. chief said he was “optimistic” that a deal — which could involve “joint control” of vessels moving through Black Sea ports, according to a Turkish minister — could break the diplomatic impasse that has prevented the export of 22 million tons of grain from Ukraine.
“I’m not as optimistic. I obviously have great faith in our leaders, so if anyone can do it, they can,” McCain said. “I hope and pray that this works.”
Inability to get Ukrainian grain to the international market is contributing to skyrocketing prices around the world. With basic staples out of reach of many — and the cost of fuel and fertilizer also rising amid the war — the U.N. Development Programme estimated last week that 71 million more people have been pushed into poverty over the past three months.
Particular spots of concern include Somalia, Yemen, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, McCain said.
“The stakes are very high, obviously. … We are in some countries approaching famine right now, and that was before the Ukrainian problem. We were on the verge of a serious situation prior to this, we are now in the middle of what will be a global famine if we don’t get more [resources] to it,” McCain said. “This is not all completely as a result of this war. … It’s kind of a perfect storm, with everyone going on at once.”
Expanding the world’s sourcing of key grains while also increasing the variety of crops produced in vulnerable countries could help mitigate future food shocks, she said.
“We cannot rely on one country to do it all with regards to grain, like Ukraine,” she said. “We need to diversify our crops, make sure that we can plant different kinds of crops, making sure that we have water resources at hand. Water is one of our biggest problems right now, because we can try to plan all we want, but if we don’t have the water, we’re not going to be able to grow [enough food].”
About the author
Teresa Welshtmawelsh
Teresa Welsh is a Senior Reporter at Devex. She has reported from more than 10 countries and is currently based in Washington, D.C. Her coverage focuses on Latin America; U.S. foreign assistance policy; fragile states; food systems and nutrition; and refugees and migration. Prior to joining Devex, Teresa worked at McClatchy's Washington Bureau and covered foreign affairs for U.S. News and World Report. She was a reporter in Colombia, where she previously lived teaching English. Teresa earned bachelor of arts degrees in journalism and Latin American studies from the University of Wisconsin.
