The World Food programme has reached an agreement with the Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture concerning the potential dispatch of 57,000 metric tons of grain to Nigeria and Sudan as part of the “Grain from Ukraine” humanitarian program.
This decision was reached following a meeting between the Ukrainian Minister of Agriculture, Markiyan Dmytrasevych, and the Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Carl Skau.
The proposal involves two separate maritime shipments, with one consisting of 25,000 metric tons destined for Nigeria and the other comprising 32,000 metric tons designated for Sudan.
Furthermore, there are ongoing considerations regarding the feasibility of delivering humanitarian grain from Ukraine to Somalia.
The “Grain from Ukraine” food aid initiative, initiated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, aims to support partner nations in procuring Ukrainian-origin grain and ensuring its delivery to countries facing humanitarian challenges.
This initiative operates in close collaboration with the United Nations World Food Programme.
Additionally, the discussions encompassed planning for the upcoming global summit on food security in Kiev.
The ministry’s website stated that there is potential for broadening the geographical scope and variety of supplies within the framework of the “Grain from Ukraine” initiative.
Grain supply crisis
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has disrupted global food supply chains with the Sub-Saharan Africa region being the most hard hit as food inflation hits record levels.
A United Nations (UN) brokered “Blacksea Grain Deal” in July 2022 saw Russia allow Ukrainian vessels to move food (grains and fertilizers) from Ukraine’s ports to countries witnessing severe food shortages.
However, one year later, Russia withdrew from the United Nations-endorsed agreement, citing the disproportionate share of grain deliveries going to Western nations and their refusal to remove sanctions on Russia.
In September, President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow was willing to rejoin the agreement on the condition that restrictions on Russian agricultural exports were lifted.
