The United Nations stated on Tuesday that the "collapse of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine will have a significant impact on global food security, leading to rising food prices and potentially causing drinking water issues for hundreds of thousands." In an interview with the BBC, UN aid official Martin Griffiths said, "The impact on food security could be significant." He added, "This is a breadbasket; the entire area down to the Black Sea and the Crimean Peninsula is a breadbasket not just for Ukraine but for the world. We are already facing difficulties regarding food security, but I am sure that food prices will rise."
"Damage of this scale is completely contrary to international humanitarian law." A week after the Kakhovka dam collapse, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths talked about the possible effects it could have around the world. Griffiths noted, "We will inevitably face huge and enormous problems in harvesting and agriculture in the next harvest season. Therefore, what we will see is a significant impact on global food security; that is what will happen," emphasizing that "up to 700,000 people rely on the dam reservoir for drinking water." He remarked that "the damage to civilian infrastructure on this scale is completely in violation of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions."
