Ukraine is fighting tooth and nail to resist Russia’s invasion. This superpower’s invasion is causing death, displacement, infrastructure destruction, and an acute decline of essential supplies for all countries.
The war between the two countries has killed thousands of people. In addition to over 2000 killed Ukrainian soldiers (as claimed by Russia), reports indicate that more than 500 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, 41 of whom were children. On the Russian side, about 4000 soldiers are reported to have been killed since the invasion began on Feb 24, 2022. Devastation is quite palpable on both sides.
The war has also displaced over a million Ukrainians and made them refugees, seeking out safety and sustenance elsewhere. According to UN reports, more than 1.5 million Ukrainians have fled their homes and sought refuge in neighboring countries.
Sadly Russia’s invasion has scaled up the world refugee population. As of mid-2021, 26.6 million refugees existed in the world, according to the UNHCR agency, responsible for refugee issues. Of course, the number is more than that now after 1.5 million Ukrainians had become refugees.
Like Ukraine, invasions and civil wars have decimated entire countries and crammed their residents in refugee camps with deplorable conditions. These countries include Yemen, Syria, Somalia, and Iraq. Residents of these countries haven’t yet recovered from the devastating invasions and civil wars.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has destroyed private properties and public institutions. Ukraine says that its rival has destroyed infrastructure worth $100 billion. Think of the destruction’s magnitude. Ruined infrastructures include military facilities, factories, hospitals, schools, and people’s homes. Imagine the severity of this situation. What a cruel war.
Because of the intense fighting between the two countries, the world is experiencing an acute shortage of essential supplies. Prices of food and gas have skyrocketed. Both countries are big exporters of wheat and gas. “Russia and Ukraine are responsible for almost 30% of global wheat exports.” More specifically, Ukraine is famous for wheat production and exports it to different countries. The country is among the top five wheat exporters worldwide. Due to the fighting, though, shipping wheat from Ukraine’s ports has been disrupted. Hence, countries dependent on Ukraine’s and Russia’s wheat are faced with sharp prices and scarcity of the commodity.
Countries reliant on Ukraine’s wheat include Egypt and Lebanon. “Egypt is the world’s top wheat importer, with around 70% of its wheat coming from Russia and Ukraine.”
Gassing up is getting people down, too. When it comes to crude oil production, Russia is second to Saudi Arabia. However, with Russia’s gas sales embargoed, the world is seeing unheard-of gas prices. Every country is struggling, and residents are fairly disappointed indeed. People wake up to different gas prices every morning. It’s a troubling situation.
Because invasions and wars destroy the world, let’s hope the fighting between Ukraine and Russia comes to an end soon. Let’s hope that people get enough food to eat. Let’s hope that we can afford to gas up our vehicles and other means of transportation that require the skyrocketing commodity. The world is a global village and its residents are affected simultaneously.