Ukrainian stevedores are working to load thousands of tons of donated wheat that will be going to war-torn Yemen a little over a day after the Black Sea Grain Initiative was renewed under a cloud of uncertainty.
The vessel Negmar Cicek is docked at the Port of Chornomorsk and will be taking 30,000 metric tons of donated wheat to Yemen, according to statement released out of Kyiv.
“We’re loading the vessel quickly, given the responsibility we have,” Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said Monday.
Russia raised international concerns last week that it might stand in the way of the Black Sea Grain Initiative being renewed by the Saturday deadline, but the eight-month-old deal that allows Ukrainian grain to be exported from three ports was extended, according to United Nations and Ukrainian officials.
Most of the grain flowing out of Odesa ports is still going to wealthy nations, but the Ukrainian government is highlighting the fact that there is also plenty of the country’s wheat being sent to some of the neediest regions.
About 140,000 metric tons of Ukrainian wheat have been shipped to Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya since the Black Sea Grain Initiative opened up three Odesa ports in July, according to Ukraine. Preparations are under way to ship another 30,000 tons of Ukrainian wheat to Ethiopia.
The U.S., France and Spain are funding the latest donations of Ukrainian wheat to Yemen, according to Kyiv officials.
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As to commercial trade from the Odesa ports, ten vessels carrying roughly 490,000 tons of corn, wheat, barley and sunflower meal departed ports in Odesa over the past three days, according to data maintained by the United Nations.
That commercial trade is crucial in efforts to keep global food prices from spiking as they did in the first several months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Still, Moscow has complained since the Initiative began in July that it doesn’t help the neediest regions.
“Russia claims that the Black Sea Grain Initiative has turned into a primarily commercial endeavor, but thanks to the Initiative, the UN has been able to send 16 humanitarian shipments from Ukraine to populations in need,” Global Affairs Canada said Monday.
