France calls for urgent food security plan over Ukraine war

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called for an urgent international food security plan to avert "famine" in vulnerable countries caused by the Russian war in Ukraine.

Speaking after NATO and G7 summits in Brussels, Macron urged Russia to show responsibility by allowing farm production in Ukraine, which is a major cereal grain exporter.

Without that, "inevitable famine" in some countries would ensue within 12 to 18 months, with Egypt and North Africa facing severe grain shortfalls, he said.

Earlier the UN said the war in Ukraine had sent commodity prices soaring, creating fresh shock waves across poorer countries already hard-hit by the pandemic and warned that "profound social anxiety" was spreading.

In a new report, the UN trade, investment and development agency (UNCTAD) warned that the conflict raging in Ukraine was causing a global economic slowdown that was hitting developing countries the hardest.

UNCTAD chief Rebeca Grynspan demanded a coordinated international response to help poorer countries weather the crisis, stressing to journalists that "urgency is of the essence".

"Many developing countries have struggled to gain economic traction coming out of the...