Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is among global crises that have prompted the biggest rise in the cost of living in a generation, says UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

According to him, the world is facing a “new reality” three months into the Ukraine war, which is amplifying the consequences of the climate, COVID-19 and global inequality crises.

According to the UN’s latest Global Crisis Response Group brief on the Ukraine conflict, about 1.6 billion people in 94 countries are severely exposed to at least one dimension of the crisis.

“For people around the world, the war, together with the other crises, is threatening to unleash an unprecedented wave of hunger and destitution, leaving social and economic chaos in its wake,” explained Mr Guterres. “No country will be left untouched by the cost of living crisis. People across the globe will face hunger and energy costs will rise sharply while incomes decrease for many workers.”

He said the number of people deemed severely food insecure has doubled in the past two years.

“The current food crisis may rapidly turn into a food catastrophe of global proportions in 2023,” Mr Guterres said. 

(dpa/NAN)