Russia Commences Free Grain Shipments to Africa, Fulfilling Putin's Pledge
Russia's Agriculture Minister, Dmitry Patrushev, declared the initiation of free grain shipments to six African countries, in line with President Vladimir Putin's commitment made in July. The announcement, reported on Telegram by Reuters, revealed that ships bound for Burkina Faso and Somalia had already left Russian ports, with additional shipments to Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Mali, and the Central African Republic scheduled for dispatch.
This move follows Putin's pledge at a summit with African leaders to provide complimentary grain to the mentioned nations. The commitment came shortly after Russia terminated the Black Sea grain initiative, citing its ineffectiveness in delivering supplies to countries with urgent needs.
Last year, Russia exported approximately 60 million tonnes of grain, with U.N. chief Antonio Guterres referring to the commitments as "a handful of donations." Following the withdrawal from the agreement, Russia targeted Ukrainian ports and grain storage facilities, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of thousands of tons of cereals.
Despite these challenges, Ukraine reported the successful transportation of 4.4 million tonnes of cargo, including 3.2 million tonnes of grain, through a new shipping corridor established in August.
The Russia-Ukraine crisis significantly impacted Sub-Saharan Africa, leading to severe food supply disruptions. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), the conflict caused a 30 million metric tonnes grain shortage, contributing to rapid food inflation and pushing millions into hunger and starvation in the already impoverished region.
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