G7 billions against hunger crisis: But aid organizations react with alarm

Created: 06/28/2022, 17:35

By: Anna-Katharina Ahnefeld

Representatives of the NGO One hold a protest wearing masks, which (L-R) Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi, US President Joe Biden, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pose.

In an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA, Welthungerhilfe and Bread for the World criticize the G7 resolutions on global hunger.

© CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP

The G7 wants to act "together against hunger", announced Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Welthungerhilfe, for example, is still disappointed.

The measures are only a start, but not enough.

Elmau – The G7 have declared war on global hunger.

Yet again.

At previous meetings of the most powerful democratic industrialized countries, investments were made to combat food shortages.

According to the United Nations World Food Program, almost 350 million people will suffer from acute hunger in 2022.

The number has risen rapidly due to the corona pandemic, climate crisis and wars.

The escalating Ukraine conflict has exacerbated the need even further, because Europe's breadbasket can only deliver to a limited extent.

Crop failures, staff shortages and blocked ports on the Black Sea are causing rising prices and bottlenecks on the grain market.

This hits the poorest first, especially in the Global South, who depend on grain exports from Ukraine.

To avert a world food crisis, the seven have now pledged to provide an additional $4.5 billion.

"We are taking action together against hunger in this world," announced host Olaf Scholz at the final press conference at Schloss Elmau.

The United States will shoulder the lion's share of this, said a US government official who accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "food as a weapon of war".

With the additional cash injection, the funds from the G7 countries for global food security have totaled around 14 billion US dollars since the beginning of 2022.

G7 summit on the Ukraine war: billions in aid against hunger - criticism is loud

Mathias Mogge, Secretary General and CEO of Welthungerhilfe, sees "a first, positive signal" in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA.

At the same time, he emphasizes: “But it is not enough.

For a long time we have been demanding 13 billion euros in addition to what has been made available to fight hunger.”

In 2015 there was a promise in Elmau to bring 500 million people out of hunger, which is no longer even mentioned in the final communiqué.

Mathias Mogge, Secretary General and CEO of Welthungerhilfe

Mogge explains that grain prices had already risen before the Ukraine war.

Due to the Russian invasion, however, it can now be assumed that price increases

access to food will become even more difficult for billions of people.

In addition, the previous G7 summits failed to keep hunger in check.

"In 2015 there was a promise in Elmau to get 500 million people out of hunger, that's not even mentioned in the final communiqué," criticizes Mogge.

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Ukraine war, corona and climate crisis: the number of starving people is increasing – experts fear a humanitarian catastrophe

In fact, according to the World Food Program, the number of people suffering from hunger has more than doubled in the past two years - jumping from 135 million starving in 53 countries to 345 million in 82 countries.

In this mixed situation, Brot für die Welt is also extremely alarmed.

“It is important that additional funds are made available, but that alone is not enough to combat the acute famine.

World market prices will only fall when food speculation is finally curbed and supply increases,” says President Dagmar Pruin IPPEN.MEDIA.

And adds: “It must not be the case that the G7 allow food to be used to produce fuel even during this serious hunger crisis.

Too much food continues to end up in the tank and trough instead of on the plate.”

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“The G7 must not allow food to be used to produce fuel even during this severe hunger crisis.

Too much food continues to end up in the tank and trough instead of on the plate.

Dagmar Pruin, President of Bread for the World

According to the German Press Agency, experts also fear the worst humanitarian crisis since the end of the Second World War.

In view of this dramatic emergency, the injection of billions from the G7 summit in Elmau in the fight against global hunger actually seems more like a make-believe giant.

(aka)