Pope Blows Hot On Use Of Wheat Scarcity As Weapon Of War

Pope Blows Hot On Use Of Wheat Scarcity As Weapon Of War
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The Overall Catholic leader, Pope Francis has on Wednesday pleaded against the use of grains and wheat as a weapon of war, as it has been reported that the global food crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Of great concern is the blockade of grain exports from Ukraine, on which the lives of millions of people depend, especially in the poorest countries,” Francis said at the end of his weekly general audience.

“Please do not use wheat, a staple food, as a weapon of war!” he said.

The pontiff appealed for “every effort to be made” to “guarantee the universal right to food”.

Read Also: Pope Francis Condemns Spate Of Killings In Nigeria

Russia’s offensive in Ukraine and Western sanctions have disrupted deliveries of wheat and other commodities from the two countries, fuelling concerns about the risk of hunger around the world.

Russia and Ukraine produce around 30 percent of the global wheat supply.

In another report, Germany will be supplying Ukraine with the IRIS-T modern air defence and radar systems, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said, stepping up arms deliveries amid criticism that Berlin is not doing enough to help Kyiv in its fight against Russia.

“The government has decided that we will send the IRIS-T system – the most modern system that Germany currently possesses,” the German chancellor told parliament.

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The IRIS-T missiles have been developed together with other NATO nations, according to Scholz, who said Berlin will be “sending more weapons” to Ukraine.

He said Germany will also supply Ukraine with radar systems to help locate enemy artillery.

Under heavy pressure over the last weeks, Scholz’s government has agreed to send heavy weapons, including self-propelled howitzers and Leopard tanks, to Ukraine.

“We have been delivering continuously since the beginning of the war,” Scholz said, pointing to more than 15 million rounds of ammunition, 100,000 hand grenades and about 5,000 anti-tank mines sent to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country on February 24.

Germany has already agreed to deals with Greece and Czech Republic for Athens and Prague to send Soviet-era military equipment to Ukraine in exchange for more modern weapons from Berlin.

 

Africa Daily News, New York

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