Hulusi Akar at the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) of Istanbul with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: “Since August 1, a total of 53 ships have set out for grain shipments, 27 of which have departed from Ukrainian ports.
The center includes officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations, which oversees Ukraine’s grain and fertilizer exports to the Black Sea.
Guterres, who previously inspected the SSI Invincible II on Saturday before it sailed to the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk, said more than 650,000 tonnes of grain and other food “have been shipped to markets around the world.”
Both men emphasized the importance of these exports as it will help overcome “the food crisis affecting the whole world, especially the lowering of prices”, Akar said.
“We’re in the early stages of a much longer process, but you’ve shown the potential of this important deal for the world,” Guterres added.
The groundbreaking agreement brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, signed by representatives of Russia and Ukraine in July, promises to unblock Black Sea ports to allow the safe passage of grains and oilseeds. safely, following routes determined by Ukrainian marine pilots to avoid mines. , and with stops in Istanbul to ensure weapons are not smuggled back into the country.
Food crisis
The deal comes after months of diplomacy and sparked hope around the world after Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s ports pushed commodity grain prices to record highs this year as more than 20 million tonnes of paddy rice. Ukrainian noodles and corn are still stuck in Odesa.
After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the western city of Lviv on Thursday, Guterres said there were signs that the global food market was starting to start. stability after the agreement.
He then called on developed countries to help developing countries procure grain. “The movement of grain doesn’t make much sense for countries that can’t afford it,” Mr Guterres said Friday in Odesa.
“The time has come for massive and generous support so that developing countries can buy food from one port and another – and everyone can buy it. Developing countries need access to finance – Right now. They need to be forgiven – right now. They need the resources to invest in their people – right now,” he added.
Today’s crisis is far worse than previous spikes in food prices in 2007-2008 and 2010-2012, both of which fueled riots around the world, including revolution in the Middle East.
Food security experts have warned of huge geopolitical risks if no action is taken. This year has seen political unrest in “Sri Lanka, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, riots and demonstrations taking place in Kenya, Peru, Pakistan, Indonesia… these are just signs for see things are going to get worse,” Beasley said.
CNN’s Jorge Engels contributed to this report.
