Ukraine Earns Spot on Coveted UN List....of Starving Countries - Right Between Somalia and CAR
Somewhere between Somalia and the Central African Republic — the UN organization included Ukraine in the list of starving countries. This document published on the site of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization in the end of January and made a lot of noise. Ukraine became the only European country on the list. Besides Ukraine, the list includes war-ravaged Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, Haiti that gets hit by a hurricane nearly every year, and 15 African countries. Ukraine occupies a position between Haiti and the Central African Republic on this list with 1,2 million starving people.
As UN's experts emphasize, mass starvation took place in the territories of military conflicts. But not all Ukrainians think that the sole cause of all the troubles is the civil war in Donbass. According to some estimates, the average Ukrainian family spends on food up to 57% of its earnings. At the same time, food continues to rise in price as well as communal utilities. It means that people whose incomes are below average are forced to be on a tight budget.
Ruslan Bortnik, Director, Ukrainian Institute of Political Analysis and Management: "Our level of income doesn't allow people to eat well today. Some people don't have enough money to pay for communal utilities — they are really starving. It's not about the quality of food, but about sufficient amount of it — how much bread or potatoes a person is able to afford".
Experts note the colossal gap between the poor and the rich in Ukraine and give terrible forecasts, dark-fantasy style. Alexander Dudchak, Ukrainian political scientist:
Aleksandr Dudchak, Ukrainian political analyst: "Consumption of meat, dairy products, meat, fish decreases, at the same time consumption of bread increases. If the course of the country won't change, this will affect the health of the population in general. In the long term, the caste stratification on "elves" and "goblins" can occur. From 1 to 5% of the population will be healthy and beautiful, others will be toothless and with other signs of "goblinization" of the nation".
Paradoxically, Ukraine produces much more food than it can consume. But most of the agricultural products are exported. According to statistics, business in the agricultural sector isn't going well. For the third year, the harvest of wheat has declined. According to forecasts, this year the negative trend will continue. It is possible that one of the causes of it is global warming.
The climate in the Black Sea region became drier in the 21st century. In the south of Ukraine, there is now about 10% less precipitation than before the global warming. In other regions, it is less than about 5%.
Let's take for example one of the centers of agricultural production — Vinnytsia region. The most significant changes in Vinnytsia are observed in winter and spring. Firstly, less snow falls, the ground freezes deeper that damage winter crops. Secondly, during the growing season plants may lack water. This is statistics for 2017 — from May to August in Vinnytsia received only half of the usual expected precipitation.
The drought spread over the Kharkov region, in the Poltava region precipitation fell three times less than normal values. In a climate change situation, export money should be directed to the development of agro-industries and support of farmers. This is necessary for the development of the industry, but the authorities of Ukraine spend it on an unnecessary war.