Lagos, May 6, 2022 (AFP) – Africa is facing an “unprecedented” crisis provoked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, particularly rising food and fuel prices, two officials from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have warned. Friday (6).
The invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, and the sanctions against Russia, have greatly affected African countries that are already devastated by the consequences of the covid-19 pandemic and climate crisis.
“This is an unprecedented crisis for this continent,” said Raymond Gilpin, chief economist of UNDP Africa, at a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
Gilpin underlined the increase in inflation recorded in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone in a video conference he held in New York.
The economist stated that “he expects a decline in economic growth on the continent, this decline should increase slightly this year after covid, because export growth will be 4%, not 8.3% as expected.”
As such, millions of families would face financial difficulties that could trigger a wave of social discontent.
“We see the potential for tensions in hotspots like the Sahel, parts of Central Africa and the Horn of Africa,” Gilpin said.
Many African countries depend on Russia and Ukraine for food, the two major exporters of wheat, corn, canola and sunflower oil.
“Up to 80% of wheat in some African countries came from Russia and Ukraine,” said Ahunna Eziakonwa, UN Assistant Secretary General and Regional Director of the UNDP Africa Office.
source: Noticias
