UN reports black Sea Initiative exports 30M tones from Ukraine, talks continues

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau

UNITED NATIONS, 12th May. UN Black Sea Initiative to ensure the flow of grain, foodstuffs and fertilizer amid global shortages due to war in Ukraine has now allowed the safe export of over 30 million tonnes, since it first began in July last year, according to an announcement on Thursday.

UN Humanitarian Affairs chief, Martin Griffiths said in his message at the meeting held in Istanbul, to discuss the future of the Initiative, with senior official from the signatories to the deal, Russia, and Ukraine, together with the UN and Türkiye, which also mediated the agreement.

Mr. Griffiths issued a note to a correspondents via UN Spokesperson’s Office on the meeting, said Mr. Griffiths congratulated the parties to the deal who run the Joint Coordination Centre hub, based in Istanbul on reaching the 30 million metric tonnes mark from Ukraine, and “reiterated the importance of the Initiative for global food security”.

Griffiths said he recognized the important contribution of food and fertilizer exports from Russia.

The note stated that the meeting discussed the proposals to advance the deal, made by the UN, namely the resumption of the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline, the longer extension of the Initiative, improvements at the JCC, “for stable operations and exports, as well as other issues raised by the parties.”

“The parties presented their views and agreed to engage with those elements going forward”, said the Spokesperson’s Office in New York.

Mr. Griffiths stressed that the United Nations would “continue to work closely with all sides to achieve the continuation and full implementation of the Initiative, in pursuit of their broader shared commitment to addressing global food insecurity.”

The latest detailed figures on the Initiative released showed that nearly 600,000 tonnes of grain have been shipped by vessels chartered by the WFP to support its humanitarian work in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Yemen.

Ukraine supplied over half of WFP’s total global wheat procurement, similar to 2021, the noted stated.

It added that as talks have continued in the past few months about extending the deal – which provides a safe maritime humanitarian corridor for shipping out of Ukrainian ports exports have dipped by 30 per cent, with JCC inspection rates dropping significantly to an average of 2.9 completed inspections daily, for the month of May.

According to an update from the Office of the UN Coordinator for the deal, said that the UN and Türkiye’s delegation were working closely with Ukraine and Russia to facilitate movements and inspections of inbound and outbound ships, “within the framework of the Initiative and agreed procedures, while discussions for the future of the Initiative continue.”