Black Sea Grain Initiative exports exceed 30 million tons

Since its launch in July last year, the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative, aimed at guaranteeing the supply of grain, food and fertilizer amid global shortages exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, achieved the safe export of more than 30 million tons.

The head of UN Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, revealed the achievement of the figure during a meeting held this Thursday in Istanbul to discuss the future of the Initiative. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the signatory countries of the agreement, Russia and Ukraine, along with the UN and Türkiye, which also mediated the agreement.

Vital Initiative for Global Food Security

In a statement issued by the Office of the Spokesperson for the General secretary of the UN, Griffiths congratulated the parties involved, who also run the Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Center, for achieving this amount of products shipped from Ukrainian ports and “reiterated the importance of the Food Security Initiative world”.

The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator also recognized the important contribution of Russian food and fertilizer exports.

discussion of proposals

During the meeting, recent UN proposals to promote the agreement were discussed. Among them, the resumption of the activity of the ammonia pipeline that goes from the Russian Togliatti plant to the Ukrainian city of Odesa, the expansion of the Initiative, the improvements in the Joint Coordination Center, “for stable operations and exports” were considered. , as well as other issues raised by the parties”.

“The parties presented their views and agreed to commit to these elements going forward,” said António Guterres’ Office.

Griffiths stressed that the United Nations “will continue to work closely with all parties to ensure the continuity and full implementation of the Initiative.”

Cereal exports are down

The latest figures published this Monday by the Initiative reveal the shipment of nearly 600,000 tons of grain in vessels chartered by the World Food Program (WFP). These dispatches serve to support humanitarian work in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Yemen.

Ukraine supplied the WFP with more than half of its total global wheat purchases last year, a figure similar to that of 2021.

Although negotiations on the extension of the agreement continued During the last months, exports decreased by about 30%, and the inspection rates of the Joint Coordination Center decreased significantly to reach an average of 2.9 daily searches in the month of May.

The United Nations Coordinator’s Office for the Agreement reported Monday that the UN and the Türkiye delegation are working closely with Ukraine and Russia to facilitate movements and inspections of incoming and outgoing ships “within the framework of the Initiative and the agreed procedures, while talks continue on the future of the Initiative”.