Arab Cuisine At Stake As People Turn To Junk Food Amid Russia-Ukraine War Price Surge

• Khalid Al Mansoor
• . June 1, 2022
• . Update: June 1, 2022 6:58 pm
• 1,105 Views
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Consumers across the Arab world are opting for unhealthy junk food as the Russia-Ukraine war has prompted a significant increase in the prices of the most basic food items.

Many traditional foods are unsold in Arab countries. People from Iraq, Egypt and Tunisia have sacrificed healthy diets because of the ongoing war. According to The National, they are eating frozen items sold at cheaper prices.

An unhealthy habit of eating junk food in the Arab world

People have adopted an unhealthy habit of eating burgers from local fast food outlets rather than preparing Arab cuisine at home. People are unable to afford cooking oil on a regular basis due to ongoing war. The war has caused a major energy and food crisis in the Arab world.

Russia’s war on Ukraine is disrupting global grain supplies. The world is currently struggling due to rising inflation. The war has sent energy prices soaring across the world.

Inflation in the Middle East

In the Middle East, many people rely on imports from Ukraine and Russia for basic foodstuffs. Egypt relies on imported wheat to meet over half of its needs. Russia and Ukraine are Egypt’s largest suppliers of wheat. The prices of vegetables, fruit, and wheat have also increased significantly in some places.

The price of a litre of cooking oil rose to more than 4,000 Iraqi dinars ($2.75) from 2,500 dinars before the Russia-Ukraine crisis. The prices of basic food items were already high before the war due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the Russia-Ukraine war has also affected the Arab countries.

Impact of the Russia-Ukraine war

Ukraine’s Black Sea ports have been blocked since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 and millions of tonnes of grain remain stuck in silos in the country. The World Food Programme issued a warning that the world would face severe food shortages in the coming months if Ukraine’s seaports remain blocked by Russia.