Indian Foreign Minister Subramanian Jaishankar has warned that the world could face a major food crisis in the coming months.

Jaishankar, speaking at an Asia Society event in New York, said that the economies of the global south have been severely affected by wars. Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, increasing energy and fertilizer shortages and the severe El Nino weather phenomenon have put pressure on global food security.

The Indian foreign minister also cited the potential shortage of fertilizer as a major reason for the fear of a food crisis. He said that energy, food, fertilizer and financial resources are under pressure simultaneously, while during conflicts, capital moves out of developing countries and towards markets considered safe.

Jaishankar said that the pressure on global energy markets is increasing further as some countries are using oil supplies for political purposes. This month has also seen a significant increase in crude oil prices.

According to him, ongoing tensions in key fertilizer-producing regions like the Middle East and Russia are affecting production and supply. Grain shipments via the Black Sea have also been repeatedly affected by war.

Jaishankar also expressed concern over the severe effects of El Nino. This climatic phenomenon can lead to significant changes in rainfall, temperature and agricultural production in different parts of the world.

He urged global policymakers to also consider the impact of their decisions on other countries and cooperate more widely to deal with global crises.

It should be noted that the Modi government is in power for the third consecutive time, but India seems to be failing in dealing with epidemics and sudden disasters, the example of which is the Corona epidemic. India was among the worst-affected countries and citizens were dying in a state of helplessness due to lack of facilities.