Tunisia among countries seeing major economic consequences from war in Ukraine (Washington Post)

Washington Post published an article stating that in Tunisia there is a mounting alarm over the availability of bread, Tunisians’ staple food, as the country grapples with economic fallout from a war occurring nearly 1,500 miles away in Ukraine. Tunisia is among the most vulnerable countries, relying on Ukraine and Russia for 56 percent of its annual wheat imports over the last five years, according to an analysis of U.N. data by Joseph Glauber, a senior research fellow.  By blocking most grain and fertilizer exports from the Black Sea, the outbreak of European combat blindsided this nation of 12 million people and fueled a dramatic surge in global commodity prices. A basket of commodities including cereals, meat, and dairy products now costs 34 percent more than it did one year ago. The problem stretches beyond staple foods to fertilizer. The invasion’s impact will extend beyond this year’s harvest and beyond the developing world. According to IFPRI, Russia and its ally, Belarus provide about one-third of the nitrogen fertilizer used by European farmers and more than 22 percent of what’s spread on American crops.