According to a new study conducted by the international humanitarian organization ActionAid, the cost of food, fuel, and fertilizer in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities has escalated due to the food and energy crisis, which is attributed to the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The cost of living in Bangladesh has gone up across multiple parameters, hitting the marginalized communities the hardest, the report suggests. The report found that in Bangladesh, price of fertilizer has increased by 105%, sugar’s price by 60%, petrol’s price by 47%, and sanitary pads by 23%.
As a result, communities are facing multiple challenges, particularly women, girls and children have, who been hit hard. They are compromising on their education, nutrition, and on the health.
A survey of more than 1,000 community members and leaders in 14 countries across Asia, Africa and the Caribbean found that prices of fertilizer rose by more than 115% over the period monitored, while costs of petrol and sanitary pads increased by 80% or more, leading to soaring child marriage rates, deteriorating women’s health and worsening mental health. This is despite the latest UN Food and Agriculture Organization Food Price Index showing an 11.7% decline in global prices since February 2022.
Alberta Guerra, Global Policy Analyst for ActionAid, said: “This pioneering research shows that since the onset of the war in Ukraine, the most vulnerable people around the world are bearing the brunt of skyrocketing food, fuel and fertilizer prices, with women and girls the hardest hit. They are disproportionally affected by multiple crises that impact their food intake, education, their right to live free from child marriage, and their mental health and wellbeing.”
The report highlights that Bangladesh is facing intersecting impacts of multiple crises, ranging from climate disasters, the Ukraine-Russia war, COVID-19, debt stress and currency depreciation. Most notable among thesefactors mentioned above are climate disasters,
COVID-19, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said,“The fuel price instability has had a far-reaching impact on all sectors, especially on food, which affects women and marginalized communities on a greater scale. Our national reporting (Bangladesh Bank) indicates we have an inflation of 9.5%.”
“ActionAid is advocating for a holistic approach and adequate funding that tackles all interconnected crises exacerbating the price crisis, including climate change, debt stress, and the profound repercussions of the Russian invasion in Ukraine”, she added.
