For many, the war in Ukraine may appear as a remote conflict with little repercussions in countries like The Gambia. Unfortunately, this devastating conflict also affects the daily life of Gambians as regards food prices, transport costs and household’s budgets altogether. Since much of what people consume is imported, disruptions in global trade impact how much food families can afford.
For The Gambia, wheat prices, shipping rates, insurance costs, fuel costs and fertiliser prices all influence what Gambian importers, wholesalers and consumers ultimately pay. For a small import-dependent economy with a narrow fiscal cushion, market volatility is itself a problem. Moreover, since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, food imports from Ukraine to The Gambia have reduced by 50%.
Russia systematically strangles Ukraine’s ability to feed the world. By targeting ports, shipping lanes, and agricultural infrastructure, Russia is not just waging a war on Ukraine — it is weaponising hunger — against millions in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. With 7.8% of the global population already facing hunger and 29% of Gambians being food insecure, this assault on trade routes risks tipping more vulnerable world regions into famine.
Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine supplied 15% of the world’s corn, 10% of its wheat, and 50% of its sunflower oil. Now, as Ukraine enters its harvest season, Russia’s attacks have halved grain exports compared to last year, driving up global food prices. By October, Ukraine may run out of storage — leaving over 9 million tonnes of grain to rot while farmers lack the funds to plant next year’s crops. When exports from a supplier of that size are interrupted, the effects are not confined to the region and could affect food supplies well into 2027.
Indeed, disruptions to maritime routes, energy markets, trade flows and humanitarian logistics can reverberate far beyond the immediate conflict zone as the concurrent crisis in the Middle East demonstrates. If Russia continues its attacks in the Black Sea, vulnerable countries will be the ones to most struggle to absorb another shock to food prices and supplies.
That is why the EU is also stepping up practical support. Since May 2022, the EU Solidarity Lanes have become critical to Ukraine’s economic resilience and provide an important alternative route for Ukrainian grain exports. The EU’s current focus is also on providing additional grain storage, developing financial solutions for Ukrainian farmers and coordinating cross-border transport to make the Solidarity Lanes as efficient as possible.
But the limitations are clear. Alternative routes can ease the pressure, but they cannot fully replace the scale and efficiency of normal Black Sea access, which handles 90% of Ukrainian agricultural exports. Any long-term improvement in global food market stability depends on safe and predictable navigation.
By extension, stable trade routes support more stable prices. Reduced disruption in one of the world’s major grain-exporting regions helps importing countries plan better, manage inflation more effectively and reduce the burden on households. In a period when many Gambians are already navigating high living costs, that is a practical concern.
This is why a moratorium on attacks against grain export facilities, infrastructure and shipping in the Black Sea is urgently needed. It would help ensure the safe passage of civilian vessels, protect critical infrastructure and restore a vital global trade route. It would also give farmers, exporters and international food markets the predictability they need now.
Ukraine has demonstrated its readiness for a just and lasting peace, beginning with a full and unconditional ceasefire. Since March 2025, Ukraine has sought such a ceasefire, while Russia has declined to accept any offer and continues its aggression through escalations.
The current issues at stake remind us of this unavoidable fact: In a globalised economy, distant disruptions rarely remain distant. If Russia ends its war and stops the killing, the African continent will also benefit from it. Greater food security will be a dividend of peace. Let us help make peace a reality in Ukraine by increasing pressure on Russia to negotiate and bring the war to an end.
Imma Roca i Cortés, Ambassador European Union to The Gambia
Klaus Botzet, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany
Stéphane Dovert, Chargé d’Affaires, French Diplomatic Mission in The Gambia,
María Dolores Casariego Artola Chargée d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in The Gambia
