Martin Frick, the German Director of the United Nations World Food Programme ((UN-WFP), has revealed that millions of tons of grain are stuck in Ukraine as the ongoing conflict with Russia prevents safe transit from the country’s ports.
Martin revealed in an interview that “Currently, almost 4.5 million tons of grain are stuck in Ukrainian ports and on ships and cannot be used”. “Ukraine’s food is urgently needed globally,” Frick said, adding that Ukrainian shipments were critical to helping tackle a “global food crisis.”
Amidst the abundance of food in Ukraine, the war has affected the accessibility of food to citizens leading to food insecurity globally. Due to the conflict, hundreds of seafarers on dozens of vessels have been stranded in the region. In Ukraine, families in conflict-affected areas are receiving food and ready-to-eat rations, while in areas where markets are functioning, multipurpose cash is being distributed so families can buy what they need most urgently. In Moldova, displaced people from Ukraine currently in transit sites and reception centers receive hot meals.
Hunger must not be a weapon
Ukraine is a significant exporter of grains such as wheat and corn, accounting for 12% and 17% of global supply, respectively. Prices of the commodities surged in the wake of Russia’s invasion, as conflict curtailed production and export of the grains, with blocked shipping routes proving a significant obstacle.
“Food needs to get to the trapped and suffering people in Ukraine, but equally, it needs to get out of the region and into the world to alleviate a global food crisis,” Frick stated
The WFP has people fleeing the conflict. Nearly 8 million people have been internally displaced in Ukraine, according to the WFP, and more than 5 million people have fled the country. Frick also revealed that the WFP needed humanitarian access in Ukraine so that exports could restart. “Hunger must not be a weapon,” he said.
Plans are underway to develop a “grain bridge” for blocked supplies of grain to be exported out of the country through trains instead of the sea, which would involve the cooperation of Ukrainian Railways and its neighboring countries, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, the Guardian reported.
According to NATO, floating mines have been found and deactivated in the western Black Sea by countries’ authorities that border the waterway. The organization also said that the “threat of collateral damage or direct hits on civilian shipping” in parts of the Black Sea remains high.
The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.
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