Russia’s agriculture minister on Friday announced the commencement of free grain shipments to six African countries, fulfilling President Vladimir Putin’s commitment made in July.
Dmitry Patrushev, in a statement on Telegram, reported by Reuters noted that ships bound for Burkina Faso and Somalia had already departed from Russian ports.
Furthermore, he noted that additional shipments to Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Mali, and the Central African Republic would be dispatched shortly.
Putin’s pledge to send grains to African countries
At a summit with African leaders in July, Putin pledged to provide complimentary grain to the six countries.
This commitment came shortly after Moscow terminated the Black Sea grain initiative, which had permitted Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
The initiative, aimed at reducing global market prices, was abandoned by Putin, who contended that it was ineffective in delivering supplies to the countries facing the most urgent needs.
Russia’s withdrawal from the Black sea grain deal
Last year, Putin reported that Russia exported approximately 60 million tonnes of grain. The commitments to provide free grain were referred to by U.N. chief Antonio Guterres as “a handful of donations.”
Following the withdrawal from the agreement, Russia has consistently targeted Ukrainian ports and grain storage facilities in airstrikes, destroying hundreds of thousands of tons of cereals, as reported by Kyiv.
Nevertheless, Ukraine announced on Friday that it successfully transported 4.4 million tonnes of cargo, including 3.2 million tonnes of grain, utilizing a new shipping corridor established in August.
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Sub-Saharan Africa experienced the most severe effects of the Russia-Ukraine crisis concerning food supply in the region.
Food inflation increases rapidly pushing millions into hunger and starvation in the already impoverished region.
According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Russia-Ukraine conflict led to 30 million metric tonnes of grain shortage in Africa leading to an increase in the price of staples such as bread.
[Nairametrics]