The Women and People of Ukraine need a cease fire and the impending food insecurity must be avoided.

The devastating war in Ukraine continues to bring trauma and untold suffering to the people of Ukraine, women and children are killed and displaced and sexually abused while whole communities are equally brutalized. While the bravery of men and women of Ukraine is historic the suffering they are subjected to, is extremely cruel and requires all of us to support an urgent end of this war.

The impact of this war not only is violations of human rights it is also economic disruptions around the world. Ukraine is one of the leading exporters of nitrogenous mineral fertilizers in the world which is key for food security. It exports mineral fertilizers to 70 countries of the world, among which are India, Brazil, Turkey, Mexico, Pakistan, Nigeria, South Africa etc. Even before the war in Ukraine, food insecurity around the world was rising due to complex factors such as climate change which leads to droughts, floods, cyclones, and heat waves all with bad impact for agriculture and food security. ?Furthermore ?the Covid-19 pandemic and the silent pandemic of Gender Based Violence the convergence of these trends is destabilizing all around the world.

Food insecurity contributes to Gender Based Violence, Ukraine and Russia account for 29% of global wheat and 62% of sunflower oil (human rights watch). ?Furthermore Ukraine is dominant in maize, edible oils, and very importantly fertilizers. This war has a far-reaching impact for the people of Ukraine and the world who must all stand for peace. The impact goes as far as Middle East, West, Middle, and Southern Africa, including Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, and Nigeria, were already grappling with increasing food prices due to extreme climate arising from climate change. ?The world is also dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact which has disproportionately affected women and It also disrupted production and global supply chains and global food prices have reached new heights. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Food Price Index, a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities, increased 12.6 percent from February to March 2022. The March index is the highest it has been since the measure was created in the 1990s.

The closure of ports and crushing facilities in Ukraine resulted in a decline of 57%in sunflower seed exports, 14% in sunflower oil, and 13% in meals in March 2022 (USDA, 2022).

Women all over the world must bring a gender lens to this war while helping to keep attention on behalf of all Ukrainian people. ?Some of the interventions made to prevent food shortages must be intensified such as the African Development Bank (AfDB) which aims to raise $1 billion from emergency support facilities, concessional loans and donor governments to boost wheat, maize, rice and soy yields on the continent and stave off a food crisis. Women?are the backbone of food security in many developing countries who must stand for peace.