Uganda closed South Sudan and DRC export markets as the global food crisis worsened.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management has urged neighboring nations not to limit food shipments to the country.

In a press release issued yesterday, Peter Mayen Majongdit stated that neighboring Uganda has blocked a significant export market in order to address its own food crisis.

This comes amid allegations that the present global economic crisis, thought to be caused by a combination of causes including the Ukraine conflict and the pandemic, has pushed governments to prohibit the export of food items.

Mayen said in a news conference yesterday that Uganda has taken strict steps to shut one export market for South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“The position we seem to have, to speak plainly and honestly, is that of course Uganda has stopped one of the key marketplaces from which we used to acquire supplies, and not just us, but also the Republic of Congo and other countries,” Minister Mayen told the press yesterday.

Mayen is concerned that the country’s 8.9 million people who are currently food insecure would face even more hardship.

“The food source that we used to acquire is no longer available.” And might quickly escalate into a big catastrophe. “The humanitarian situation in the nation is such that just a portion of the population can afford their daily requirements,” he said.

According to reports, just 1.5 to 2 million people in South Sudan are self-sufficient and do not need humanitarian help. Minister Mayen urged South Sudan’s “friends” to continue providing food goods to the import-dependent country.

“I urge our allies in neighboring nations to continue opening up their food supply in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Sudan.” The Ukrainian conflict is reported to have affected the worldwide food supply system, causing global food prices to surge.

According to DW, a German news organization, Uganda is implementing hefty fees to prohibit food shipments to neighboring nations.

According to the publication, global food protectionism is now in full swing, with India and key EU food-exporting countries like Hungary halting the export of particular crops.

In recent weeks, the administration met with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program to discuss how to solve the approaching problem.

Mayen said that the ministry and partners would collaborate to develop an action plan to address future food insecurity in the nation.

“The government of the Republic of South Sudan and partners has agreed on previous meetings to work out comprehensive strategies on how best we should implement a food security strategy,” Mayen said. “The ministry of humanitarian affairs and partners will ensure that a proper strategy is laid out to address the issue.”

According to FAO delegate Alemu Demeke, the current situation necessitates collaboration with the government and humanitarian partners.

“The present food security situation is already quite precarious, and one institution, such as the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, or partners, cannot adequately respond to the situation.”

“A multi-sectoral, multi-institutional, and multi-country response is required.” As a result, FAO is “generally dedicated to working with partners to alleviate the burden on the vulnerable population, the full effect of the Ukraine conflict, and other community compounding issues,” he noted.

As he said, the actions and tactics for dealing with the problem are unclear.