Video: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on July 18, 2022 called for bold and coordinated responses to solve the ongoing global food crisis. (Xinhua)
But, "we can avoid this catastrophe if we act now" and "if we act together to craft bold and coordinated policy responses," notes the UN chief.
UNITED NATIONS, July 19 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for bold and coordinated responses to slove the ongoing global food crisis.
"We face a real risk of multiple famines this year. And next year could be even worse," Guterres warned in his video remarks to a UN General Assembly high-level special event entitled "Time to Act Together: Coordinating Policy Responses to the Global Food Crisis."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the opening of the ministerial segment of the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development at the UN headquarters in New York, on July 13, 2022. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)
But, "we can avoid this catastrophe if we act now" and "if we act together to craft bold and coordinated policy responses," the UN chief noted.
This means immediately reintegrating Ukraine's food production, and Russia's food and fertilizer, into world markets, and keeping global trade open, he said.
Guterres also stressed the need to tackle the finance crisis in the developing world, and to urgently unlock all possible resources to enhance social protection and support smallholder and family farmers to increase productivity and self-reliance.
"And it means transforming food systems at every level -- to put affordable, healthy and sustainable diets within reach of every person, everywhere," he added. ■