World·Nothing is Foreign

How hunger is a weapon in the war in Ukraine

The devastating effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine are being felt far beyond the front lines of the war — leading to extreme food shortages in the Middle East and Africa.

More than 20 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain exports are being blocked by Russia in the Black Sea

A green combine tractor harvests wheat in a field.
A farmer uses a combine to harvest wheat on a field near Izmail, in the Odesa region of Ukraine on June 14, 2022, amid Russia's invasion of the country. (Oleksanr Gimanov/AFP/Getty Images)

The devastation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine is being felt far beyond the front lines of the war. 

More than 20 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain exports are being blocked by Russia in the Black Sea — a vital trade route that supplies millions of people in North Africa and the Middle East; many nations in those regions now face extreme food shortages and potential famine. 

We explain how how Ukraine's role as the "breadbasket of Europe" is being used as a chess piece in the war and what can be done to solve this growing crisis.

Featuring:

  • Dr. Hassan Khannenje, Director of the HORN Institute of Strategic Studies
  • Yevheniya Kravchuk, Ukrainian member of Parliament
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Nothing is Foreign is a new podcast from CBC News and CBC Podcasts. A weekly trip to where the story is unfolding. Hosted by Tamara Khandaker.