President William Ruto has underscored the crucial need to protect and maintain the neutrality of international supply chains, highlighting their significance in ensuring global food security amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Speaking in Switzerland on Sunday during a peace summit focused on Ukraine, Ruto called for immediate international measures to secure key trade and navigation routes, including the Azov and Black Seas, by designating them as global public goods, free from interference.
“The international community must act urgently to protect these vital economic and humanitarian arteries,” he stressed.
Ruto pointed out the interconnectedness created by globalization, noting that consumers worldwide depend on international supply chains for essential products, including food.
He elaborated on the mutual dependence between continents, explaining that European families rely on African farmers for products like flowers, fruit, tea, and nuts, while African households depend on European farmers for wheat, other grains, and fertilisers produced in Europe.
“Food security depends on efficient global commodity supply chains,” he added.
The President expressed concern over the vulnerability of these supply chains to conflict and climate change.
He explained how wars disrupt food production and supply chains, leading to shortages and preventing local farmers from cultivating crops.
“The threat of starvation typically follows wars because food supply chains are vulnerable to blockades and sabotage,” he said, highlighting the severe impact of Africa’s forgotten wars on famine, particularly affecting children.
He also pointed out that climate change has worsened food insecurity, with 40 million people in Eastern Africa and 30 million in the Sahel currently facing famine.
“Wars and climate change have become mutually reinforcing disasters,” he stated.
Ruto further emphasized the importance of farm inputs, particularly fertilizers, in ensuring food security.
He noted that conflicts have disrupted fertilizer supply chains, significantly impacting Kenya’s agricultural sector.
“The cost of fertilizer has gone up, and delivery now takes 45 days longer due to changed shipping routes,” he explained.
The President stressed the broader implications of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, describing it as a “war on our farms” that affects millions of African families.
“80% of malnourished children do not have access to treatment.
War denies children education, nutrition, and medical care, making them direct casualties,” he said.
“The drums of war are the drums of hunger.”
Ruto advocated for a return to peaceful dialogue to save lives and enhance global stability.
“War is a terrible means of solving misunderstandings.
The sooner we return to peace-making through dialogue, the more lives we save,” he urged.
JSC Postpones Court Of Appeal Judge Interviews Over Death Of Magistrate
