The announcement was made in a Note to Correspondents, released by the UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson’s office on Saturday, which emphasized that the Initiative allows for the “facilitation of the safe navigation for the exports of grain and related foodstuffs and fertilizers, including ammonia, from designated Ukrainian seaports.” Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces
Read MoreMartin Griffths, the UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefed ambassadors on the eve of the expiration of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which has allowed nearly 25 million metric tonnes of foodstuff from Ukraine to reach global markets. The accord was signed in Türkiye in July 2022, in parallel with a Memorandum of
Read MoreRussia announced earlier that it would agree to a 60-day extension, which is half the number of days agreed when it first expired in November. The UN-brokered deal also endorsed by Türkiye in Istanbul – which includes a Memorandum of Understanding between Russia and the UN to facilitate fertiliser exports – has allowed the exports of 24
Read MoreThe UN humanitarian coordination office, OCHA, said in a press release that a seven-truck convoy had reached Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region – just five kilometres from the Russian border. “This community has been heavily impacted by months of hostilities and the 4,500 people who remain there depend on humanitarian aid to meet their needs.”
Read MoreOn Sunday, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said, in a statement for the Secretary-General, that Mr. Guterres has decided to delay his departure for the Arab League Summit in Algiers by a day to focus on the issue. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, mountains of grains built up in silos, with ships
Read MoreHis wide-ranging speech covered issues such as Türkiye’s humanitarian support to other countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and diplomatic efforts on Ukraine, as well as the need for greater collective action to address global challenges including the ripple effects of the war. The pandemic sparked supply chain problems which had a heavy impact on the
Read More1) A deal to get vital supplies moving again Ukraine, one of the world’s largest grain exporters, normally supplies around 45 million tonnes of grain to the global market every year but, following Russia’s invasion of the country, in late February 2022, mountains of grains built up in silos, with ships unable to secure safe
Read MoreThis “remarkable achievement” was made possible through the collective efforts and hard work of the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC), he said, referring to the Istanbul-based mechanism that monitors ships’ movements to ensure their compliance with the Initiative. The JCC brings together representatives from Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye and the UN – the signatories of the landmark
Read MoreShips carrying grain have been leaving there under a recent UN-brokered agreement, and Mr. Guterres said Odesa was a symbol of what countries can achieve when they work together for the common good. Speaking to journalists, the UN chief revealed that it was a moving experience to be at the port, where he witnessed wheat
Read MoreSpeaking at a press conference alongside Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to visit “again during such a difficult period”. Despite that the Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed a few weeks ago, the UN chief reiterated that “there is no solution to the global food crisis without ensuring full global
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