{"id":148642,"date":"2022-03-26T16:19:44","date_gmt":"2022-03-26T20:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=148642"},"modified":"2022-03-26T16:19:44","modified_gmt":"2022-03-26T20:19:44","slug":"hunger-stalks-central-asia-as-the-ukraine-war-unfolds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/hunger-stalks-central-asia-as-the-ukraine-war-unfolds\/","title":{"rendered":"Hunger Stalks Central Asia as the Ukraine War Unfolds"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"antig-280998070\" class=\"antig-ecab antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-593327050\" class=\"antig-before-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/medicalbenefitsscheme\" aria-label=\"ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:341\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1200\" height=\"400\"   \/><\/a><\/div><p>On March 16, 2022, Kazakhstan\u2019s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered his State of the Nation\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/e-people-of-kazakhstan-1621043\/n7198z\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/e-people-of-kazakhstan-1621043\/n7198z\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw24AHpHVRu8FLWycdL2z6IY\">address<\/a>\u00a0in Nur-Sultan. Most of Tokayev\u2019s speech was about the political\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/n-state-of-the-nation-address-\/n71993\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/n-state-of-the-nation-address-\/n71993\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1OW_9PZz0E5TzP9YlD4Lgc\">reforms<\/a>\u00a0in Kazakhstan he had either accomplished or planned to advance, after he had\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/reforms-to-ward-off-stagnation\/n71996\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/reforms-to-ward-off-stagnation\/n71996\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3u9BWVM1gvihdaMdj__QhA\">promised<\/a>\u00a0them as redress to January\u2019s political unrest and protests against the Kazakh government. He also addressed the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on Kazakhstan during his speech and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/r-kazakh-economy-tokayev-says-\/n71999\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/r-kazakh-economy-tokayev-says-\/n71999\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Ze2fTKvpAPbJi3tkOS3bK\">pointed<\/a>\u00a0to the spikes in food prices and currency volatility as some of the worrying economic consequences being faced by the country as a fallout of this conflict.<\/p><div id=\"antig-1248769126\" class=\"antig-content_5 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:169\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:576\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:432\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:864\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Full-ABLP-Team-Digital-Billboard-1920x1080px.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>The address by Tokayev was made four days before the holiday of Nauryz, which fell on March 20 and is a new year festival celebrated by people in the belt that runs from the Kurdish lands to the Kyrgyz lands. Households across Kazakhstan were preparing for this celebration, although inflation of food prices\u2014which predated the Russian intervention in Ukraine and the resulting Western sanctions imposed on the Kremlin\u2014had already dampened the mood of the festivities in the country; by mid-March, the National Bank of Kazakhstan had\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/tan-climbed-to-8-7-in-february\/n7199d\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/tan-climbed-to-8-7-in-february\/n7199d\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ShPC_lvpQCIRospFoNryk\">reported<\/a>\u00a0that prices of food products such as baked goods, cereals, vegetables and dairy\u2014the important components of a Nauryz meal\u2014had increased by 10 percent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKazakhstan is facing unprecedented financial and economic difficulties in our modern history due to the escalation of the geopolitical situation,\u201d President Tokayev\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/r-kazakh-economy-tokayev-says-\/n71999\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/r-kazakh-economy-tokayev-says-\/n71999\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Ze2fTKvpAPbJi3tkOS3bK\">said<\/a>. The \u201charsh sanctions\u201d imposed on Russia by the West are already impacting the global economy, he said, adding, \u201cUncertainty and turbulence in the world markets are growing, and production and trade chains are collapsing.\u201d Rising food prices and financial turbulence\u2014a result of both the Western sanctions on Russia and of the integration of national economies\u2014have set the alarm bells ringing and seem to have heightened the urgency to resolve these issues in Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan.<\/p><div id=\"antig-3978661121\" class=\"antig-content_4 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-667918217\" class=\"antig-content_12 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"IMG_0979\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:883\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0979.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:883\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0979.jpg 1047w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:245\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0979.jpg 245w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:838\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0979.jpg 838w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:939\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0979.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1047\" height=\"1280\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p><b>Famine and Hunger<\/b><\/p><div id=\"antig-1822588530\" class=\"antig-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.antiguabarbudaculinarymonth.com\/\" aria-label=\"culinary\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:843\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:843\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:132\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:450\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:337\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:675\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:842\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1124\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Tokayev spent part of his State of the Nation speech speaking about the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/r-kazakh-economy-tokayev-says-\/n71999\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/r-kazakh-economy-tokayev-says-\/n71999\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Ze2fTKvpAPbJi3tkOS3bK\">inflation<\/a>\u00a0of energy and food prices. He spoke about the need for the government to oversee the production of agricultural equipment, fertilizers, fuel and the stocks of seeds. Tokayev\u2019s remarks are not novel. Other heads of governments in Central Asia have similarly expressed the need for their governments to enter the food production arena, since both the COVID-19 lockdown and the current Russian war in Ukraine have demonstrated the enormous vulnerabilities in the global food chain, exacerbated by the privatization of food production.<\/p>\n<p>Food prices in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)\u2014comprising Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Russia\u2014continue to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/countries-rose-by-2-9--in-Feb-\/n7199h\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/countries-rose-by-2-9--in-Feb-\/n7199h\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1kKh4cBlmI9CbHPBS31AEE\">rise<\/a>, as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, outpacing world food prices. While these countries\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/llout-articleshow-90275506-cms\/n7199l\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/llout-articleshow-90275506-cms\/n7199l\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw16TlM0kBhQolgXT1ZLNT39\">are<\/a>\u00a0\u201cstrongly dependent on imports from Russia,\u201d they are now facing a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/l-june-30-interfax-2022-03-14-\/n7199p\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/l-june-30-interfax-2022-03-14-\/n7199p\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw07J94swu_MWdQtX9wJcPqS\">temporary ban<\/a>\u00a0on exports of wheat and sugar from Russia owing to the conflict.<\/p><div id=\"antig-98473895\" class=\"antig-content_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.com\/antigua\/\" aria-label=\"IMG_0783\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_0783.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_0783.png 500w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_0783.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:150\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_0783.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"google-auto-placed ap_container\"><\/div>\n<p>On March 11, 2022, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/-implications-ukraine-conflict\/n7199s\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/-implications-ukraine-conflict\/n7199s\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ZZXL-5flZitYmMHZBrcFq\">released<\/a>\u00a0a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/48036103-1924719852-1645718554\/n7199w\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/48036103-1924719852-1645718554\/n7199w\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3cFiWWUpM7aWiG1w1ry0Nf\">report<\/a>\u00a0on the \u201cFood security implications of the Ukraine conflict.\u201d The conflict, says the WFP, \u201ccomes at a time of unprecedented humanitarian needs, as a ring of fire circles the earth with climate shocks, conflict, COVID-19 and rising costs driving millions closer to starvation.\u201d Russia and Ukraine produce and \u201csupply 30 percent of wheat and 20 percent of maize to global markets,\u201d according to the WFP\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/48036103-1924719852-1645718554\/n7199w\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/48036103-1924719852-1645718554\/n7199w\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3cFiWWUpM7aWiG1w1ry0Nf\">report<\/a>, and these two countries also account for three-quarters of the world\u2019s sunflower supply and one-third of the world\u2019s barley supply. Meanwhile, the Black Sea ports have largely been\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/rying-grain-exports-a-61165985\/n7199z\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/rying-grain-exports-a-61165985\/n7199z\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3GESoyR9J392hFFn47JucL\">dormant<\/a>\u00a0since Russia has blocked any exports from these ports due to the ongoing war. This has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/48036103-1924719852-1645718554\/n7199w\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/48036103-1924719852-1645718554\/n7199w\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3cFiWWUpM7aWiG1w1ry0Nf\">led to<\/a>\u00a0\u201c[a]n estimate of 13.5 million tons of wheat and 16 million tons of maize\u201d being \u201cfrozen in these two countries\u201d since these grains cannot be transported out of the region. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization\u2019s Food Price Index\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/dsituation-foodpricesindex-en-\/n719b3\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/dsituation-foodpricesindex-en-\/n719b3\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0A7GRnFbnAfn-xEgV42whs\">reached<\/a>\u00a0\u201ca new all-time high in February.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"google-auto-placed ap_container\"><\/div>\n<p>The International Fund for Agricultural Development President Gilbert F. Houngbo warned that the continuation of the Russia-Ukraine war \u201cwill be catastrophic for the entire world, particularly for people already struggling to feed their families,\u201d according to a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/en-story-2022-03-1113332\/n719b6\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/en-story-2022-03-1113332\/n719b6\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1JSCtJKR4BaFZIf0owMsAp\">UN report<\/a>. \u201cThis area of the Black Sea plays a major role in the global food system, exporting at least 12 percent of the food calories traded in the world,\u201d Houngbo said.<\/p><div id=\"antig-775767738\" class=\"antig-content_3 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.com\/antigua\/\" aria-label=\"1000436969\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1000436969.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1000436969.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:240\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1000436969.jpg 240w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:819\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1000436969.jpg 819w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1000436969.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>One of the great problems of globalization has been that the vulnerabilities in one part of the world almost immediately impact other parts of the world. In 2010, droughts in China, Russia and Ukraine raised the price of food grains, which then \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/prices-heightened-arab-spring-\/n719b9\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/prices-heightened-arab-spring-\/n719b9\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2udKt-W0B8k_PdiK7TztBf\">heightened<\/a>\u201d the Arab Spring. Ideas of \u201cfood security,\u201d a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/r-kazakh-economy-tokayev-says-\/n71999\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/r-kazakh-economy-tokayev-says-\/n71999\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Ze2fTKvpAPbJi3tkOS3bK\">phrase<\/a>\u00a0used by Tokayev during his State of the Nation speech, have been around since the first\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/docid-3b00f1c434-html\/n719bd\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/docid-3b00f1c434-html\/n719bd\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3E0f1gQVGIu1HKuOhs1POC\">World Food Conference<\/a>\u00a0in 1974; at that meeting in Rome, the member states of the United Nations reflected on the famine situation in Bangladesh and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/record-701143-ln-en\/n719bh\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/record-701143-ln-en\/n719bh\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0aWcPP824RtxIivAEnhz_4\">called<\/a>\u00a0for measures to ensure international stability of food prices and to make governments responsible for the abolition of hunger in their respective countries. The current situation of food inflation and of food instability in the global commodity chain has refocused attention on the need for ensuring enhanced domestic and regional production rather than placing reliance on distant producers and unstable international markets.<\/p><div id=\"antig-2101465648\" class=\"antig-content_6 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p><b>Domestic Food Production<\/b><\/p>\n<p>In October 2021, the Central Asian Bureau for Analytical Reporting (CABAR) held an expert\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/have-to-strengthen-cooperation\/n719bl\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/have-to-strengthen-cooperation\/n719bl\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw25phUOg6D-K3eHSAkd0X2P\">meeting<\/a>\u00a0on the problem of food production in the region. Nurlan Atakanov of the Food Security and Nutrition Program of the Kyrgyz Republic said that local farmers were unable to grow sufficiently high-quality wheat \u201cdue to limited cultivation areas and climatic conditions.\u201d His country imports a third of its wheat from neighboring Kazakhstan. Daulet Assylbekov, an expert from Kazakhstan who is a senior analyst with the BLM Group, meanwhile, said that wheat harvests in Kazakhstan decreased by 30 percent due to the pandemic restrictions. This has had an impact on food prices within Central Asia.<\/p>\n<p>Tajikistan\u2019s wheat yield is currently 27-30 hundred kilograms per hectare, far short of the yield in Russia\u2019s Rostov region of 67-70 hundred kilograms per hectare,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/have-to-strengthen-cooperation\/n719bl\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/have-to-strengthen-cooperation\/n719bl\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw25phUOg6D-K3eHSAkd0X2P\">according<\/a>\u00a0to CABAR. Economist Khojimahmad Umarov said during the CABAR meeting that if Tajikistan had access to mineral and organic fertilizers and if it improved its agricultural knowledge, yields could rise to 90 hundred kilograms per hectare. But agriculture has been neglected, and countries like Tajikistan have been encouraged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to import food and export cotton and aluminum.<\/p>\n<div class=\"google-auto-placed ap_container\"><\/div>\n<p>Uzbekistan\u2019s Ministry of Agriculture has now\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/sias-temporary-ban-on-exports-\/n719bp\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/sias-temporary-ban-on-exports-\/n719bp\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2rW_tcOAoKDE02O7Yixqn6\">urged<\/a>\u00a0its farmers to increase production of wheat from 6.6 million tons of grain in 2021 to 7.6 million tons this year as well as to enhance the domestic production of sugar to meet the country\u2019s internal demand despite the temporary ban on exports by Russia; Uzbekistan has traditionally\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/12-0018-\/n719bs\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/12-0018-\/n719bs\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3B0sYS5YWHMNs11cxMXKWZ\">relied<\/a>\u00a0on Russian wheat and Brazilian sugar.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, like Uzbekistan, the government of the Kyrgyz Republic\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/ic-issue-51-11-march-2022-enru\/n719bw\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/ic-issue-51-11-march-2022-enru\/n719bw\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3n1pRlIyb9r4zblSSvxUZu\">imports<\/a>\u00a0sugar, vegetable oil and wheat each year from other countries, and the current Russia-Ukraine war could result in a bleak situation in terms of ensuring food security and curbing inflation of food prices in the Kyrgyz Republic. At the start of the war in Ukraine, the poorest households in the Kyrgyz Republic\u2014the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/-content-component-8b30e9f8-en\/n719bz\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/-content-component-8b30e9f8-en\/n719bz\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0sqNJZCS-PBemKULpepjD2\">second-poorest<\/a>\u00a0country in Central Asia after Tajikistan\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/ic-issue-51-11-march-2022-enru\/n719bw\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/ic-issue-51-11-march-2022-enru\/n719bw\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3n1pRlIyb9r4zblSSvxUZu\">spent<\/a>\u00a065 percent of their income on food; the current inflation will be catastrophic for them. The Kyrgyz Republic\u2019s Cabinet of Ministers, led by Akylbek Japarov,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/rprises-discuss-food-security-\/n719c3\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/rprises-discuss-food-security-\/n719c3\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2K-SRSWvoiOv6oVZxzOwS1\">held<\/a>\u00a0an emergency meeting with food processing companies in Bishkek to discuss how to increase food production and prevent increased levels of starvation in the country.<\/p>\n<p>At the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/en-adf-english-\/n719c6\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/en-adf-english-\/n719c6\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw26uympyRnyEZ2KVRDelqvI\">Antalya Diplomacy Forum<\/a>, leaders of the Central Asian countries called not only for a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/e-consequences-of-russias-war-\/n719c9\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/e-consequences-of-russias-war-\/n719c9\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3wwqusYzzdZckqRTjFNgUE\">cessation<\/a>\u00a0of hostilities in Ukraine, but also for regional integration of their countries with South Asia. Uzbekistan\u2019s Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/3JzSCpR\/n719cd\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/3JzSCpR\/n719cd\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1fMcFGlBLKMycagj7753MX\">said<\/a>\u00a0that his country is eager to play the role of a bridge to unite these areas. The general verdict among countries in Central Asia is that greater self-sufficiency is important\u2014particularly in food production\u2014but also that regionalism needs to be emphasized. One of the problems with regional integration in Central Asia is that there are very poor\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/evelopment-carec-countries-pdf\/n719ch\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/evelopment-carec-countries-pdf\/n719ch\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0LILMDPJNq77pzjitffxLK\">options<\/a>\u00a0for the transport of goods from one country to the other\u2014Kazakh wheat travels by train to the Kyrgyz Republic, and then is transferred onto trucks to traverse tough mountain roads. Regionalism is not simply a concept. It had to be realized through the creation of food processing plants, better transport systems and easier cross-border trade rules.<\/p>\n<div class=\"google-auto-placed ap_container\"><\/div>\n<p>The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia\u2019s war on Ukraine have alerted the governments of Central Asia to pay much more attention to the question of food security. What the IMF says about liberalization of food chains makes little sense these days. Worries of starvation and bread riots resulting from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the ongoing pandemic are a good wake-up call for countries to focus on finding more sustainable local and regional solutions and to solve problems that have been part of the economic, social, and political fabric of Central Asia for decades.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article was produced by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/2022-03-25\/n719cl\/1020402746?h=eHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/go.ind.media\/e\/546932\/2022-03-25\/n719cl\/1020402746?h%3DeHbvtIEFvJn1O_IeeTlMY34BATEuTjVsxSogX49HcMU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648315213807000&amp;usg=AOvVaw24FzLtd5GPxXyDhyH13yW8\">Globetrotter<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"antig-269991398\" class=\"antig-in-comments_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/@hadeedmotorsltd\" aria-label=\"Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 1000w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:75\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:192\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1000\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On March 16, 2022, Kazakhstan\u2019s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered his State of the Nation\u00a0address\u00a0in Nur-Sultan. Most of Tokayev\u2019s speech was about the political\u00a0reforms\u00a0in Kazakhstan he had either accomplished or planned to advance, after he had\u00a0promised\u00a0them as redress to January\u2019s political unrest and protests against the Kazakh government. He also addressed the impact of the Russia-Ukraine [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":143588,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-148642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-regional"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.1 (Yoast SEO v24.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Hunger Stalks Central Asia as the Ukraine War Unfolds - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/hunger-stalks-central-asia-as-the-ukraine-war-unfolds\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hunger Stalks Central Asia as the Ukraine War Unfolds\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On March 16, 2022, Kazakhstan\u2019s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered his State of the Nation\u00a0address\u00a0in Nur-Sultan. Most of Tokayev\u2019s speech was about the political\u00a0reforms\u00a0in Kazakhstan he had either accomplished or planned to advance, after he had\u00a0promised\u00a0them as redress to January\u2019s political unrest and protests against the Kazakh government. 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Most of Tokayev\u2019s speech was about the political\u00a0reforms\u00a0in Kazakhstan he had either accomplished or planned to advance, after he had\u00a0promised\u00a0them as redress to January\u2019s political unrest and protests against the Kazakh government. 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